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Illustrated Souvenir 



History 



OF 



PHILIPSBURG 

PENNSYLVANIA 



Part I. — History of Philipsburg, by the 
late S. B. Row, Copyrighted by Agnes 
E. Row. 

Part II.— Philipsburg from 1904 to 1909, 
Compiled by C. U. Hofier. 

Part III. — Philipsburg illustrated. 



Printed, Engraved and 
Published by 

GRIT PUBLISHING COMPANY 

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNA. 



Under the Auspices of the HISTORICAL COMMITTEE OF THE OLD 

HOME WEEK ASSOCIATION 



Copyrieht, 1909, by Grit Publishine Co. 



History of Philipsburg 

FROM PIONEER DAYS TO PRESENT TIME 




Names of Founders and First Settlers. Early Indus- 
tries, including the First Screw Mill in the United 
States, and first Attempt to Build a Railroad Across 
the Allegheny Mountain. C Facts about the Organi- 
zation of the Borough, Schools, Saw Mills, Mines, and 
other interesting information never before published. 



By S. B. ROW 



*CopyriBht, 1909. by Agrnes E. Row 



Philipsburg in 1813 



■■'. -^ D to ^ 

1/1 r 




Copy of Map Made by Geo. Schultz 



GUIDE FOR MAP 

On Preceding Page 



1. Schultz's house, first in town, built 1707. 

2. Simler's first house, built in 1797. Sold to and occupied by Loraine iu 1813. 

3. Ries' house, afterwards moved to No. — . 

4. B\' John Weld, and occupied by him. 

5. Turner's house. 

6. Joseph Earth's house, not finished. 

7. Schillo's house, occupied by Clinton's in 1813. 

8. Doctor Leopoldt's house. 

9. Jacob Meyers' house, occupied by Weis in 1813. 

10. Dr. Bergman's house, occupied by Jacob Hoover. 

11. Henry and James Philips' house, occupied by Hardman Philips in 1818. 

12. Simler's second house, built in 1813. 

13. McAuley's house. 

14. Klumbach'? house. 

15. Weis' cabin. 

16. Rigley's house, occupied by his son-in-law, Isaac Goon, in 1813. 

17. Rigley's bam. 

X. Soldiers' Encampment in 1818. 



EXPLANATORY 




N the summer of 1898, an "Historical Sketch of Philipsburg," which I had 
previously prepared from rather scant data for "Notes and Queries," was 
republished in one of the local newspapers. Since then, from hitherto un- 
explored sources, much interesting information on the subject generally, 
but more especially concerning the commencement of the town, has been 
collected little by little, as the herbalist gathers his simples, and incorporated 
with the original narrative which, however, forms only about one-fourth 
of the following history, the greater portion of it being constructed of 
material never before used in any work relative to this locality. A well-pre- 
served day-book and ledger of the Philips' stores for the years 1797, 1798 
and 1799, kindly furnished by Mr. John D. Gill, have supplied dates, facts 
and names that were partially or wholly lacking, and have likewise thrown 

a great deal of light on the manners, customs and occupations of the pioneers as well as on 

the way in which the work of improvement was carried on. 

In the chapters on saw-mills, lumber and coal, incidents not occurring in this imme- 
diate vicinity are referred to because they are essential to a full and correct understanding 
of matters having a direct bearing on enterprises with which citizens of Philipsburg had been 
closely identified. It is for this reason that the unfortunate collisions growing out of the in- 
troduction of log-floating are mentioned, and the recital of circumstances connected with 
some of the events will give people of the present day a fair conception of the bitter feeling 
that actuated the contending parties, but which died out years ago and is now nearly for- 
gotten. 

A full list of Burgesses and members of the Town Council; from the organization of 
the Borough until the present time, will be found in the part devoted to that subject. The names 
of citizens who composed the several Boards of Education, from 1887 till 1903 inclusive, are 
also given, but it is regretted, for the reason set forth in the article on schools, that a complete list 
of former Directors could not be procured. It should be kept in mind, too, that what is 
said about the Coal Industry represents the condition of the business from the start in 1861 
to the close of the year 1903, and while some changes have more recently taken place, the 
writer feels confident that on this, as on every other subject, all essential statements for the 
period they cover, are correct and reliable. With the assurance that he has confined himself 
to well-authenticated facts and endeavored to present them in a plain, perspicuous manner, 
he hopes the intelligent reader will not only be interested in the perusal of the subjoined 
pages, but will also realize the wonderful transformation this region has undergone in its 
general appearance during the hundred and odd years which have elapsed since Mr. Henry 
Philips selected a site for the town still bearing his family name. 

To my good friends, Christopher C. and Frederick W. A. Schultz, I am indebted for 
numerous courtesies, especially for the privilege of gleaning from the manuscript of their 
father, George Schultz, deceased, information and reminiscences that could not have been 
obtained from any other source. My thanks are also due several other persons for kindly 
furnishing me some quite useful data. 

S. B. ROW. 



Philipsburg, Centre Co., Pa., 1903. 



History of Philipsburg 




PART I. 

Purchase of Lands — Selection of Town Site — Work 
of Improvement, Etc. 

N the extreme western 
border of Center County, 
where a stream with an 
aboriginal name forms 
the line that separates it 
from that of Clearfield, 
snugly nestles the town 
of Philipsburg. It is in 
a limited sense an old 
place, for its inception 
dates back more than a 
century of time, and 
some of the leading 
events in its history are 
neither ordinary nor un- 
interesting. 

In the years 1795-6, Henry Philips a mem- 
ber of the firm of John Leigh Philips & 
Brothers, of Manchester, England, purchased 
on account of his house, from Robert Morris, 
Chancellor Wharton, Thos. Billington and 
others, for the sum of $173,000, a large tract 
of unimproved lands, on the western slope 
of the Allegheny mountain, covering parts of 
the present counties of Center, Clearfield and 
Cambria. The region was then a dense wil- 
derness, the habitation of bears, wolves, 
panthers and other wild animals. A few of 
the Cornplanter tribe of Indians also lingered 
on their hunting grounds in this vicinity, but 
being peaceable and inoffensive, readily adapt- 
ed themselves to the new order of things, 
and ere many moons had passed away, traded 
moccasins, raccoon, fox, deer and other skins, 
for blankets, shawls, handkerchiefs, etc. Their 
surnames are not given in the account books 
of the Philips' store, but some of them are 
designated as "Big John," "Big John's Broth- 
er," "Little John," "Captain Logan," and one 
as "Lady Indian." 

The period of the town's settlement has 
heretofore been involved in doubt, but the 
day-book and ledger of 1797, 1798 and 1799, 
mentioned in the Preface, have entries fixing 
the time somewhat definitely, and clearing 
up other matters that were obscure or enig- 
matical. They contain numerous dates and 
facts which, grouped and considered together, 
render it certain that Henry Philips, in the 
summer of 1796, located at the village of 
Milesburg, which had been laid out three 
years previously, and from there directed the 
initiatory affairs of the great enterprise en- 
trusted to his management. One of his first 
acts was to start a skillful surveyor, named 
Trcziyulney (pronounced Tre-yul-ney), with 
such assistants as were needed, in search of 



a suitable location for a town. This work 
was performed expeditiously, and the site 
chosen was on a piece of rising ground on the 
eastern side of the Moshannon, along the 
banks of which were stretches of meadow 
where that ingenious rodent, the beaver, built 
dams and made his home. For his own con- 
venience, and as a means of promoting the 
business he had in hand, Mr. Philips also es- 
tablished a store at Milesburg, which enabled 
him to furnish his surveying party, as well as 
the pioneer settlers of the new town, with pro- 
visions, groceries and other supplies, and in 
order to facilitate their delivery, he had them 
conveyed across the mountain on pack horses 
kept for that purpose. 

As an inducement to settlers, Mr. Philips 
offered a town lot, together with a four-acre 
outlet, to each one of the first twelve men 
who would come hither with the intention of 
remaining. Those who availed themselves of 
this offer were Dr. Konrad Bergman, a native 
of Upper Saxony; Jacob Dimeling, of Wur- 
temburg; John George Schultz, from Magde- 
burg, in Lower Saxony; John Henry Simler, 
of Saxe-Coburg; Jospeh Barth, of Strasburg, 
celebrated for its great cathedral ; Christian 
Ries, of Hesse-Cassel ; Jacob Meyer, Eber- 
hart Klumbach, John Schillo and John Leo- 
poldt, also from Germany, but from what par- 
ticular provinces is not known ; James Mc- 
Cauley from Scotland, and William Leary 
from Ireland. 

These men had all braved the dangers of 
the ocean in emigrating from Europe to Amer- 
ica, and influenced no doubt by alluring in- 
ducements, plodded their way into what then 
was a remote backwood's region, conveying 
some of their effects on horses and part of 
them on their own shoulders. After a long 
and tiresome journey they arrived at their 
destination, but instead of the sloop masts 
they had expected to see on a navigable river, 
they saw only tall pine trees on the banks of 
a small and crooked stream — in olace of neat 
and cozy abodes, they found nothing but an 
unbroken forest in which to seek shelter. Yet 
in this direct, open contact with nature there 
was an attractive, exhilarating sensation of 
freedom never before experienced, and with 
wild game abundant in the woods and the 
limpid waters fairly alive with beautiful trout, 
they had at hand a means of subsistence until 
ordinary edibles could be obtained. So adapt- 
ing themselves as best they could to their new 
environments, they went to work with seem- 
ingly good will to cut down the giant trees 
and put up temporary abodes, but eventually 
tiring of discomforts and deprivations that 
were unavoidable, they imbibed a feeling of 
unrest which neither time nor circumstances 
could allay. 



History of Philipsburg 



Among the names in the old ledger appear 
those of pioneers to whom lots had been 
donated. Eberhart Klumbach and John Leo- 
poldt, who probably did carpenter work, pur- 
chased four planes and a "keyhole saw" on the 
20th of April, 1797. James McCauley is 
charged on the 27th of the same month with 
1 lb. coffee, 2 lbs. sugar, and at other times 
with shad, cheese, 1 shawl, muslin, stockings 
and 1 quart of whiskey. John Henry Simler 
is debited on May 7th to shad, coffee, files, 
etc., and on May 11th Konrad Bergman bought 
coffee and sugar. John Schillo and Wm. 
Leary were each charged, on July 5th, with 
3 half pints rum. On Sept. 4th, John G. 
Shooltz, as his name is spelled in the ledger, 
had £6, 18s. 9d. settled through Alexander 
Mclntire, and on Oct. 31st William Leary got 
1 pair women's cloth shoes, 2 red-spotted 
shawls, 1 case of razors and a shaving cup. 
On Jan. 25th, 1798, Christian Ries is charged 
$2.47 for "sundries carried to his account at 
Moshannon." 

While these dates show conclusively that a 
portion, if not all, of the original dozen of 
Bettlers were here in the spring of 1797, the 
day-book of the "Milesborough" store has en- 
tries making it equally certain that the first of 
these man had arrived as early as the 7th of 
February. This day-book also contains item- 
ized lists of provisions and other articles, with 
the names of the persons by whom they were 
"packed to Moshannon," (the suffix "town" 
not being used in any instance), and this mode 
of transportation was continued until the store 
was removed in August, 1798, to the new set- 
tlement, which at that time already bore the 
name of "Philipsburg." Meanwhile a two- 
story building had been put up by Mr. Philips 
on the southeast corner of Front and Pine 
streets, where the one owned by S. B. Row 
now stands. This house he and his younger 
brother Nathaniel occupied during the time 
they stayed here, and when it became neces- 
sary utilized part of it for a store room un- 
til one was provided elsewhere. After the 
death of Henry it was occupied by James, 
and subsequently by Mr. Hardman Philips. 

Only a few items in the book accounts are 
dated in January, 1797, but in the months of 
February and March they become more nu- 
merous. Fourteen commence on the 11th of 
April, and a larger number on the ensuing 
four days, among them being those of Philip 
Antes, Robert Askey, Joseph Green, John Halt, 
John Holt, George Hoover, Jon. McClure, 
Col. John Patton, Joseph Pugh, James Wil- 
liams and Joshua Williams. _ The prices which 
various kinds of commodities commanded at 
that time are given in some of these accounts. 
For example, Joseph Green is charged 47 
cents a yard for calico, 43 cents a pound for 
coffee, 25 cents a pound each for sugar, cheese 
and soap, and on a later date with "4 yards 
of striped calico, $4.00." William McMuUen 
paid $2.00 for a half bushel of salt; Alex. 
McNaughton $3.00 for 100 lbs. of flour ; Chris- 
topher Erwin 75 cents for three pounds of 
nails; Mr. Nicholson $1 for half a pound of 
saltpeter; Robert Moore 75 cents a yard for 
linen and 18 cents for one nutmeg; Sarah 
Lewis 80 cents per yard for muslin ; Robert 
Fleming $1 a yard for "flowered muslin," and 



Mrs. Jane Leathers was charged, on May 20th, 
with "one pair of white cotton stockings, $1.33." 
While one kind of tobacco retailed at 3 cents 
per "yard," another sold at 33, and a better 
grade at 40 cents a pound. Writing paper 
cost 40 cents a quire, and "ink-powder" 25 
cents a "pack." Wheat and rye brought $1 
and corn 75 cents a bushel, beef 4;X and pork 
6 cents a pound. Whiskey sold readily at 
25 cents a quart, "American" segars at 50 
cents, and "Spanish" at $1 per hundred. Com- 
mon poultry, it seems, however, was not held 
in very high esteem, for Martin Hoover was 
allowed but 17 cents for a "dung-hill cock" 
delivered on the 23d of May. 

* * ^ :!: 55: * 

A singular item, dated April 5th, 1797, is 
found in the account of Hugh Goloher, in 
these words : — "100 American segars, per James 
the Rover, 0.50." Just what is meant by the 
appellation of "rover," is not altogether cer- 
tain. It may be synonymous with that of 
"wood ranger," an officer appointed in early 
days by the Courts, in at least some of the 
counties of Pennsylvania. In England it was 
formerly the custom for owners of large 
landed property to have a "wood reeve" — that 
is a steward or overseer of the woods — who 
had, with his other duties, to see that the 
roads were kept free from obstructions, es- 
pecially from the drooping limbs of trees, watch 
the deer, recover missing animals, and prevent 
trespassing. A tolerably well-founded opinion 
prevails that the Philipses, at the start, had in- 
tended to establish a manor, patterned after 
the British model, or like that of Rensselaer- 
wick on the Hudson in New York, and this 
they might possibly have effected had the idea 
not been wholly at variance with our form of 
government,. But be this as it may, it is not 
improbable that they deemed it expedient to 
have a person acting in the capacity of over- 
seer of their forests in this section of country, 
and as he would be rambling or wandering 
around in the performance of his duties, per- 
haps to prevent the spoliation of timber, the 
rural populace, discerning in him the habits 
and characteristics of a "rover," called him by 
that simple name instead of designating him 
by the unusual title of "wood reeve" — and as 
the man was the recognized employee of 
wealthy landowners, and invested with some 
authority, he could be safely entrusted with 
the purchase of the segars, if he did not, in- 
deed, for reasons satisfactory to Mr. Goloher, 
become their actual recipient. Another account 
shows that James McCauley was the man re- 
ferred to in the item quoted at the beginning 
of this paragraph. 

****** 

There are no existing obtainable data by 
which to determine the exact extent of im- 
provements made in 1797 — how much land was 
cleared, what part of their subsistence the 
settlers raised on it, or the actual number of 
'log cabins" they erected that year. It is 
known to a certainty, however, that they suc- 
ceeded in putting up and rendering habitable 
several buildings in which they resided that 
summer and the following winter, and it is 
reasonable to suppose they had patches of 
ground where they planted potatoes, turnips 
and other vegetables which in due season 



History of Philipseurg 



"yielded seed after their kind." They must, 
too, have made considerable headway at clear- 
ing, for they had two fields ready for buck- 
wheat when the regular time for sowing that 
kind of cereal came around in the ensuing 
spring. Much of what was done subsequently 
is noted in a time record covering many pages 
of the old day-book and ledger. It gives the 
names of persons employed, what kind of 
work each one was daily performing, and un- 
der the caption of "general remarks'' has a 
great deal of information concerning the im- 
provements that were then being made. It also 
specifies the number of pack horses, teams, 
yokes of oxen, and to what use they were put. 
As some of these memoranda throw a strong 
side light on the condition of affairs in the 
new settlement, they will be quoted at appro- 
priate places in the course of the narrative, but 
in doing this it will not be practicable in all in- 
stances to adhere to strict chronological se- 
quence. 

****** 

As there is neither traditional nor docu- 
mentary' evidence to the contrary' it may be 
taken for granted that the pioneer settlers 
passed through the first winter without experi- 
encing any serious want or suffering. In the 
spring of 1798, as soon as the weather condi- 
tions would permit, the work of improvement 
was resumed and vigorously continued during 
the ensuing summer. While no record of what 
^^•as done in the earlier part of the season has 
been found, the one above alluded to gives 
many details of the later operations. It states 
that "Thomas Blood, James Develin, John Leo- 
poldt and James Ross were "clearing for wheat 
near the town" on the 20th of August and this 
work was continued by them, off and on. until 
completed in the latter part of September. In 
the meantime they also "built a fence around 
the small buckwheat field." the seed in which, 
as well as that in "the big buckwheat field." 
was sown towards the end of June, probablv 
on the •27th or "seven sleeper's day," which 
some of the earK- inhabitants imagined would 
insure its certain growth.* Again, it is stated 
in the record that Joshua Skidmore. on the 
27th of August, "rolled logs in the new wheat- 
field :" on the succeeding four days was clear- 
ing for ]\IcDonnel. making fence A\-ith Mc- 
Caulev. and butchering. During the first eight 
davs of October. "Ries, the miller." operated 
the saw mill, located on Coldstream near where 
the Port Matilda road now crosses it. At a 
later date he "made a bridge" over its clear, 
rippling waters. On October 10th. James Ro5?_. 
with two of the millwrights, was at "a raising" 
with Robert Anderson: at a "frolick" with 
Lawrence McDonnel on the 14th: sowing 
wheat on the 17th and 18th : finished grubbing 
the turnip field on the 20th. and on the 21st 



•The "Seven Sleepers,*' according to a legend of early 
Christianity, were seven noble youths of Ephesus. name-i 
Maximian," Malchus. Jlartinian. Denis. John. Serapion 
and Constantine. During the time of the persecutions 
under Decius. emperor ot Rome from 2-19 to 251. they 
fled to a cavem for refuge, were pursued, discovered and 
walled in for a cruel death. Tradition has it that they 
fell into a deep sleep and were miraculously kept in 
that state until their bodies were found two centuries 
afterwards, when thev were taken out and exposed to 
the veneration of the faithful. The church consecrated 
the 2Tth of Jtine. the date of their incarceration, to 
their memory, and hence the belief that no harm will 
befall seed sown on that day. 



was "clearing and burning brush below the 
field on the JMoshannon." James Develin and 
James McGlaughlin, on the 17th, were hunt- 
ing the old horse "Arthur," who had strayed 
away some time in the previous week. Under 
the head of "wagons," it is noted that "two 
wheels were used b\- Drur\-, ^^'eis and Meyer 
to haul flour" on the latter day, and that Pat 
Brj'son was employed at "mending wagons" 
on the three succeeding days. On the 27th, 
"all the townspeople and settlers" were 
at the raising of a very large barn on 
the ground where the Pennsylvania freight 
house now stands ; James Ross was "thrashing 
flax a. m." of the 28th, and burning logs 
around the barn in the afternoon. On Oc- 
tober 1st, ^McGlaughlin, Ross and Skidmore 
were "mowing the big buckwheat field," and 
on the third seven men were husking corn, re- 
minding one of the husking parties that in 
times past were common in the agricultural 
sections of our country. On the 4th and 5th. 
five millwrights with thirteen assistants, all of 
whose names are given in the record, were 
"raising at the mill." The same crew worked 
at the bam on the 6th. James Develin. who 
went on the 7th with three yoke of oxen for 
the millstone to the "half-way house," re- 
turned with it on the following day. From 
the 8th to the 11th inclusive, several men 
were gathering and threshing buckrvvheat. On 
the loth, James Ross made a "riddle" and on 
the next daj- commenced "riddling the buck- 
wheat," a process for cleaning grain that may 
appear quite novel to a farmer who now uses 
a power separator for that purpose. Peter 
Younge, with the Indian and two horses, 
started on the 12tli for the venison and came 
home the same evening, but there is nothing 
to indicate whether the "red man," the skill- 
ful Peter, or some other "might}' hunter" had 
killed the deer. Game of this kind was then 
ver\' plenty, for an entry in the day-book 
shows that 78 deer skins, together with 2 
panther. 5 bear and 16 fox pelts, were sent 
from the store of "Henrj' Philips & Co." to 
Philadelphia at one time, and mention of the 
venison incident was doubtless made more for 
the purpose of accounting for the time of 
Younge and the two horses than to note the 
circumstance of a buck or a doe having been 
shot on this occasion. For probably a similar 
reason, it is stated that James McCauley. who 
had been sent on the 29th of November for a 
couple of bears, which it was said, had been 
killed in the woods, returned without finding 
either game or hunter, but as "the Indian 
came in during the evening with the ne-n-s that 
he had shot one four miles from here." Nicho- 
las Gebhart, with two horses, accompanied the 
Indian on the following day and brought in 
the bear, which was purchased, as the record 
has it, at a "price not yet determined." 
****** 

The foregoing extracts, culled indiscrimi- 
nateh- from a large number, show clearly that 
the affairs of the new community were con- 
ducted S}'Stematically. It was a busy hive and 
drones were not tolerated. Not even sex, it 
seems, secured immunitj- from duty, for fe- 
males as well as males labored in the fields. 
On various da}-s. from June 5th to October 
20th, the wives of Bergman. Brison, Heatley, 



History of Philipsburg 



Klumbach and Weis were hoeing or digeing 
potatoes, raking hay, hoeing corn; Mrs. Kep- 
hart and Mrs. Dimeling, who no doubt could 
wield their sickles dexterously, were helping 
to reap the rye and fall wheat, and it is likely 
that others may have "gathered sheaves after 
the reapers." If the outdoor work at which 
these good women assisted was not oi a pleas- 
urable kind, it is probable that by taking part 
in it they brought more genuine content and 
happiness to the humble fireside of these 
sturdy frontiersmen than is now found in 
some of the palatial dwellings where luxury 
and ostentation abound. 

****** 

The founders of the town, like people of 
the present era, experienced more or less 
trouble with domestic help, as is evinced by 
the statement that James Develin, on the 20th 
of August, was "cooking for the hands, be- 
cause Mrs. Leathers had been discharged," and 
■was "housekeeping" for eight or nine addi- 
tional days, as well as "attending the crea- 
tures" — the domestic animals. Occasionally, 
too, one of the "sterner sex" would do some- 
thing to cause annoyance. For example, 
Patrick Kerrighan, a good, all-around worker, 
was fond of his poteen and once in a while 
indulged so freely that he would unfit himself 
fori duty. An occurrence of this kind having 
taken place near the end of August, he is 
laconically but quite expressively described as 
being "idle, alias in liquor" for a period of 
three days, after which it seems, Patrick re- 
gained his equilibrium, and during the ensuing 
fortnight was placidly chopping logs, burning 
brush, cutting firewood, attending masons, or 
doing whatsoever else was required of him. 

In tracing out the varied labors performed 
by Kerrighan the interesting fact is learned 
that, on the 19th of September, 1798, he com- 
menced clearing a lot, and on seven subse- 
quent days he and James Resides were "dig- 
ging a cellar for the brewery," for which they 
were to receive "% dol. per yard." The work 
was continued by Resides alone during the 
first six days of October, and for it was to be 
paid "18d. per yard solid." The two men 
labored in the aggregate twenty days at the 
cellar excavation, but there is nothing in the 
book to show that the brewery itself was ever 
built, and all inquiries have failed to elecit 
anything satisfactory on the subject. 

****** 

At the time Henry Philips commenced 
making improvements on the Moshannon there 
was no road, worthy of being so called, that 
led thither from the east side of the moun- 
tain. As early as 1791 a highway had been 
projected to run from Reading, through this 
locality, to Lake Erie, but in consequence of 
the unfriendly disposition of the Indians it 
could not be constructed. Gov. Mifflin, realiz- 
ing the necessity of providing for the general 
defence of the frontier, and especially for the 
settlement at PresquTsle, made an effort in 
1794 to have it located, but it does not ap- 
pear that anything was accomplished on that 
occasion. An Act of Assembly, passed on the 
4th of April, 1796, having authorized the ap- 
pointment of "three skillful persons to view 
the ground and estimate the expense of ooen- 
ing and making a good wagon road from Bald 



Eagle's Nest, or the end of Nittany mountain, 
to the town of Erie, at Presq'isle," the Gover- 
nor selected William Irvine, George Wilson 
and Andrew Ellicott as commissoners to per- 
form the duties specified therein. The last 
named having declined to serve, Joseph Elli- 
cott was appointed in his stead. After this 
change had been made the commissioners 
"proceeded with all convenient dispatch to 
examine the country" at the starting point, 
but when ready to "take their departure from 
the Bald Eagle's Nest," Mr. Irvine, as is 
stated in a subsequent report, "left the other 
two and returned home." Thereupon George 
Wilson and Joseph Ellicott continued the work 
themselves, and during that season surveyed 
the course of the road for a distance of one 
hundred and sixteen miles. Just when the 
mountain part of it was either commenced or 
finished is not definitely known. It is certain, 
however, that on the 3d of July, 1799, Samuel 
Miles and Roger Alden entered into an agree- 
ment with Governor Mifflin "to open, extend 
and improve the said road," the wording of 
which seems to imply that some work on it 
had already been done. John Fleming, whom 
Governor McKean commissioned on a later 
date "to view that part of the State Road 
which was undertaken to be opened by Col. 
Samuel Miles," reported on December 16th, 
1801, that after crossing the Bald Eagle creek 
at Milesburg, on "a sufficient wooden bridge," 
it leads up the north side of the stream for 
a distance of five miles, and is "passable for 
wagons." From the Bald Eagle creek "to the 
foot of the mountain, five miles, the road is 
good excepting that some trees have fallen 
across it since it was opened. Towards the 
top it is too steep for carriages." * * "About 
one mile from the foot of the mountain (west 
side) is a small run difficult to pass," and 
near this is a little knoll "not passable for 
wagons for want of digging." * * "To Phil- 
ipsburg, from thence, a distance of more than 
eight miles, the road is good, except some 
very swampy ground on the east side of what 
is called Five-Mile rum, and some miry ground 
on Coldstream, one mile from Philipsburg." 
* * "Some more work," says the report, "is 
necessary on the hill west of Five-Mile run; 
Moshannon creek is not bridged, nor is it 
fordable in any season at the place where 
the road crosses it, but there is a fording 
about a half mile below," and "there is some 
timber prepared at the place for a bridge," 
on the same site where Troy bridge is at pres- 
ent. From thence to the Susquehanna river, 
over Hogback hill, the Anderson, Stump and 
Sandy Lick creeks, "to the end of Col. Miles' 
opening," the most of the road is represented 
as being "good," and its length is fixed at 
"seventy-four miles and 86 perches." The sec- 
tion of Major Alden, from the end of Miles' 
opening to LeBoeuff, now Waterford, was 
8V/2 miles long. 

Taking the above statements from Mr. 
Fleming's report, and considering them in con- 
nection with the repeated mention of pack 
horses being sent to Dunlop's, Evans', Tacks', 
McCormick's or Patton's — that Mr. Curtin 
rode to Milesburg on frequent occasions, Mr. 
Drury to Northumberland or into "the settle- 
ment," Nicholas Kephart with his wife to 



10 



History of Philipsburg 



Penn's Valley, and Mr. Trcziyulney to Phila- 
delphia — it is evident that four-wheeled ve- 
hicles could scarcely have been used in travel- 
ing over the mountain east of Philipsburg dur- 
ing the years 1796 and 1797. The lack of 
wagon roads was greatly felt, and the making 
of a new one was therefore an affair of gen- 
eral interest Hence the record states that on 
August 16th, 1799, Andrew Kephart, Robert 
McCracken, George Gephart, Moses Boggs 
and Jacob Weis were "assisting the Chinckac- 
lamoush people in opening a road to get their 
custom to our mill." At the time to which 
this refers, August, 1799, there were only a 
few persons besides Daniel Ogden and his 
family at the old Indian hamlet of Chinkac- 
lamoose, which was afterwards chosen as the 
site for Clearfield town, but as the territory 
embraced the entire county was then known 
by that name, it is probable that such persons 
as were living along the line of the projected 
road were more especially meant by the term 
"Chinckaclamoush people" as used in this in- 
stance. A portion of this old road, it is not 
amiss to state, w-as utilized in 1820 in the 
construction of the Philipsburg and Susque- 
hanna turnpike. 

****** 

The task of furnishing the new settlement 
with supplies was not an easy one. This was 
due largely to the lack of transportation facil- 
ities. Some goods from the east, as is shown 
by entries in the old day-book, were forwarded 
by way of Middletown to Derrstown, now 
Lewisburg in Union county. From there they 
were either hauled across the country, or 
boated up the River and Bald Eagle creek, to 
Milesburg. In other instances, as will be 
learned further on, articles were conveyed 
overland the whole distance from Philadel- 
phia. From Milesburg, everything had at the 
start to be carried on pack horses to its des- 
tination on the west side of the mountain. 
The first mention of anything connected with 
this phase of the matter is an item of ex- 
pense, dated Feb. 7th, 1797, viz:— "9 lbs. of 
sugar for Moshannon settlers," and another on 
the 14th of "2 lbs. candles for Moshannon 
hands," the "hands" evidently being persons 
who were attached to the surveying party. On 
March 6th, 9th, 17th, 23d and 27th, coffee, tea, 
sugar and 304 lbs. of bacon were forwarded to 
these people. On various days in the months 
of May, June, July and August, Robert An- 
derson has credits in the day-book for "pack- 
ing" considerable quantities of flour, chopped 
rj'e, bran, salt, groceries, leather, etc., from 
"Milesborough" to "Philipsborough," and in 
September, October and November, George 
Rockey and James Gibson also have credits 
for conveying more of the same kind of com- 
modities to the new town. On Jan. 13th. 1798, 
"four quarters of beef, one hog, 813 lbs. of 
flour, 155 lbs. of corn meal, four sides of 
leather, one set of shoemaker's tools," and on 
March 1st, flour, chopped rye, "one barrel of 
nails, two axes, one bake-oven" and other ar- 
ticles were hauled over on "sleds." Accord- 
ing to the time record, James McCauley. on 
the 15th of February "arrived from Bald 
Eagle with two loads, (also on sleds"), one 
drawn by the old yoke and the other by the 
late bought yoke, bringing 16 bushels of oats. 



8 bushels of corn, 7 bushels of timothy seed, 
and 3 bushels of flax-seed." On Oct. 2d, 
Thomas Blood brought in 3 bags of salt on 
three horses, and on the 16th of September 
James McGlaughlin came in with a quantity 
of "flour and 3 bushels of wheat from Mc- 
Cormick's, and 2 kegs of whiskey from 
Jack's." On the 25th, "three horses arrived 
with 381 lbs. of flour from McCormick's," and 
John Leopoldt, who had gone away two days 
previously, returned on the 28th, with "95 lbs. 
of coffee, 240 lbs. sugar, 39 lbs. tobacco. 1 can 
of snuff, and one piece of sheeting, from Pat- 
ton's." James McGlaughlin, on the same day, 
brought in, on pack horses, "12 bushels of 
wheat, and 484 lbs. of flour— toll taken, 1 
bushel." 

These details, which could have been ex- 
tended over several additional pages, show 
more clearly than wordy description the great 
amount of care and attention that must have 
been required to keep up necessary supplies, 
and superintend their transportation over the 
rugged Alleghenies. But even the closest over- 
sight did not always prevent things from go- 
ing wrong. One instance of this kind is spe- 
cially mentioned. A load of goods had been 
"sent by Mr. Henry Philips in Mr. McKin- 
nty's ■ wagon from Philadelphia to Bellefonte, 
and from there brought by his own team to 
Philipsburg," where they were delivered on 
the 27th of December, 1799. The invoice 
showed that a keg of powder was missing al- 
together, while a 5-gallon keg of Sherry was 
found by measurement to have but 2 gallons 
and a pint in it, and a Cognac keg of the 
same size only 154 gallons. After ascertain- 
ing these facts and giving a detailed list of 
all goods received the bookkeeper added this 
explanatory postscript: — "N. B. The brandy 
and wine more than half gone on account of 
leaking — one keg of powder lost by Mr. Mc- 
Kinney's carter." Whatever may have become 
of the powder, the responsibility for its dis- 
appearance was fixed positively on the "car- 
ter" in whose care it had been forwarded. As 
the cause of shortage in the wine and brandy 
could not be definitely determined, it was at- 
tributed, probably with a mental reservation, 
to the process of "leaking;" but when it_ is 
remembered that these articles were_ being 
conveyed over a long, lonesome mountain road 
during Christmas-tide, and that they were a 
tempting means for indulging in a quiet cele- 
bration of the season, as well as for counter- 
acting the effects of the cold wintry weather, 
it is believed the extraordinary shrinkage of 
liquids on this occasion could be accounted for 
in a quite different way from the one sug- 
gested by the clerk. 



A matter of much interest to the whole 
community is thus mentioned under date of 
Nov. 15th, 1798:— 

"The grist mill is finished except the bolt- 
ing gears, which have been postponed until 
spring, as the bolting cloth could not be pro- 
cured. In the afternoon seven bushels of 
grain have been chopped, to our very great 
satisfaction, and Mr. McKinney (the mill- 
wright) promises to return in the spring." 



11 



History of Philipsburg 



As the weather during the greater part of 
December was "snowy and severe," the gates 
of both the grist and saw mills were frozen 
fast. Men were put to work to remove the 
icy fetters. After laboring several days, aided 
by "fine, warm sunshine" on the 27th, and 
rain on the 28th, the saw mill gate was "with 
great difficulty" raised on the 29th. However, 
in January, with the temperature on the 4th, 
5th and 6th ranging from 1 to 14 degrees "be- 
low extreme cold," it froze down again, but 
on the 11th "the mill gates were both raised.' 
This was followed by a serious mishap on the 
20th, when "the race broke," and it can be 
imagined that the repairing of it in midwinter 
was not easily effected. 



From twelve to fifteen horses and at least 
three yoke of oxen were kept here after the 
first year to carry on the various operations 
of the new settlement. Several cows were 
also required to supply milk and butter for 
the table and for culinary purposes. These 
animals being occasionally subjected to acci- 
dents, or the ills which equine and bovine 
flesh is heir to. more or less horse and cattle 
dealing had of necessity to be resorted to, 
and a considerable part of it appears to have 
been entrusted to Mr. Roland Curtin. Several 
transactions of this kind are noted in the ac- 
count books. On April 19th, 1798, Richard 
Clark is charged $24 for "one cow and one 
calf bought of Mr. Curtin," with the stipula- 
tion that "the cow and calf belong to the 
Company until paid for — if not, a reasonable 
allowance is to be made for the time she is 
in use." On January 25th, 1799, "Mr. C. sold 
the sorrel mare to J. McCord for a fat steer 
and 40 bushels of corn." At another time 
he procured "a yoke of steers from Nat. Simp- 
son, for 14 cwt. of iron to be given by John 
Dunlop." On Feb. 4th, "the gray mare re- 
turned by James Ross is sold by R. C. to 
J. McCIanahan for six milk cows to be de- 
livered before the 15th of April next;" and 
on the 5th, "Mr. C. sold the black horse to 
Andrew Boggs for 110 dollars if he will thrive 
within two weeks after he is delivered." It 
is evident from these specifically defined con- 
ditions that Mr. Curtin knew how to drive an 
advantageous bargain, and his careful atten- 
tion to details was of itself sufficient to con- 
vince Mr. Philips that this part of his busi- 
ness was being properly looked after. 



In pioneer days the inhabitants of re- 
mote settlements, who had no civil officers in 
their midst, were impelled by self-interest to 
preserve order and protect each other. Un- 
der such conditions, although well inclined in 
a general way, it is not surprising- that they 
should entertain rather primitive notions as 
to the circumstances under which the laws of 
the land ought to be respected. If a proceed- 
ing of itself seemed right to them, as when 
Andrew Boggs, the assessor, on the 7th of 
January, "came to estimate the value of the 
houses, they afforded the officer every reason- 
able facility to properly perform his duty. 
If, on the other hand, they considered a pre- 
cept wrong or oppressive, a different course 
was pursued. An instance of the last kind 



having taken place on the 14th of February, 
is thus briefly but significantly noted : — "Gray 
and Heakly, constables, came out with sundry 
summons and executions. They returned next 
morning without being permitted to levy." 
There is nothing to indicate by what particu- 
lar means the levying on this occasion was 
prevented, but it may be inferred that a dem- 
onstration of such a character was made as 
deterred the officers from attempting to carry 
out the object of their visit. Whatever this 
may have been, the solution after all has to 
be left to the imagination of the reader, who 
may possibly conclude that the interested par- 
ties here baffled the constables in the same 
manner that mountaineers formerly got rid 
of troublesome bailiffs in Connemara, "vi et 
armis" — by force and shillalahs, as the phrase 
may, not quite literally, be interpreted. 



The land hereabouts, as is well known, was 
thickly covered with timber. To clear and 
get it into tillable condition, was a laborious 
process. While the work was unavoidably 
wearisome, it was at the same time desirable 
to expedite it as speedily as possible. In 
doing this, some waste was to be expected, 
but from the frequent reference to "burning," 
as well as to rolling and hauling logs, it is 
probable that a considerable quantity of good 
timber was needlessly sacrificed, in this way. 
The memorandum of an agreement bearing 
on this subject, also discloses in its main fea- 
tures a tendency of the same kind. It sets 
forth that "William Drury took a job of dead- 
ening the trees, and cutting down the maples 
under 12 inches, in Ross' clearing, for £10 
per acre and find himself; — he is likewise to 
cut down the hickory fit for fencing." It does 
not specify how the deadened trees and pros- 
trated maples were to be disposed of, but it 
is not unlikely that sooner or later they would 
be burned as the readiest way of getting rid 
of them. But whether this was so or not, it 
is doubtful if any person in this day and gen- 
eration would think of using young hickory 
for the purpose mentioned in the concluding 
stipulation of the agreement. 

High winds now and then also played havoc 
with trees, as' well as with other property. 
One severe storm which passed over the set- 
tlement on the 15th of August, 1799, is de- 
.scribed as doing so much damage that "all 
the fields must be cleared up from brush and 
branches of fallen timber before they can be 
ploughed again." This was probably the same 
'storm that blew a tree across and crushed 
in the roof of Mr. Schultz's building, an in- 
cident which is noted elsewhere. 



There is a gap in the record from Febru- 
ary 16th to June 3d, 1799. On the last named 
day, John Irwin "sent in 123 lbs. of bacon at 
8 cts," and about that time the saw mill was 
again put in operation, with Chas. Wilson 
attending it. On the same day the book- 
keeper, as he sententiously expresses it, was 

"At a raising of the barn plates. ^ The rest 
of the townspeople were at the frolick. One 
gallon of whiskey spent. Weather fine." 



12 



History of Philipsburg 



The word "frolick," as here used, does not 
signify a spree, in the ordinary sense of the 
term, but applies to the gathering of per- 
sons who w'ere attending the barn raising, the 
bustle and merriment of which may have been 
somewhat intensified by the liberal supply of 
the "ardent" furnished on this occasion. So, 
too, when it is stated that Nathaniel Leopoldt, 
Timothy Carrol, John Coulter and Moses 
Boggs were at a "frolick" with McDonnel, 
or that three of the millwrights "were at 
Simler's frolick," it doubtless signifies that 
these men had taken part in a log-rolling or 
raising "bee," as events of this kind are called 
in some sections of the country. This view 
of the matter is strengthened by the fact that 
Patrick Kerrighan, the jovial son of Erin, was 
at "a dance with Boggs" on the 22d and 23d 
days of August, a circumstance that would 
not have been thus distinctly described had 
it also been considered a "frolick." 

The bookeeper, whose name has not been 
ascertained, was not only a close observer, 
but had prejudices and partialities which he 
permitted to crop out occasionally while in 
the discharge of his regular duties. He en- 
tertained feelings of aversion, it would seem, 
to colored people, for in the index, and also 
at the head of an account, he designates Jacob 

George as "a d d nigger." If it was only 

the dark color of the skin that impelled him 
to thus stigmatize this man, it evinces an un- 
usual degree of race hatred. If there was 
some other reason for it, the account book 
was not a proper place to display it. It is 
not impossible, however, that the object of 
his particular dislike may have been a certain 
"negro Jacob" who pleaded guilty to two in- 
dictments for larceny at a Court of Quarter 
Sessions held at Bellefonte in August. 1801, 
and lyas sentenced to sixty days' imprison- 
ment in the county jail, together with a nomi- 
nal fine and costs of prosecution. Even if 
that was the case, and the man was notori- 
ously disreputable, it did not justify the ac- 
countant in using on the pages of his ledger 
a derisive term that is as legible now as it 
was when written over a hundred years ago. 
Still the incident has its use, for it serves to 
draw attention to a racial prejudice which 
has in more recent years manifested itself too 
often in various parts of our great country, 
whose charter of liberty holds that "all men 
are _ created equal," and where an exalted 
Christianity and advanced civilization are sup- 
posed to restrain intolerance and animosity on 
the part of its citizens. 



The work of reclaiming and improving the 
"beaver meadows" received early attention. 
While the exact dates are not given, memo- 
randa in the record show that in the summer 
of 1798, Eberhart Klumbach, "undertook a 
job of grubbing and burning 8 acres at £3 
per acre;" Jacob Weis took "eight acres at 60 
shillings per acre ;" and William Drury "from 
five to six acres adjoining the fence of the tur- 
nip patch, at 60 shillings per acre" — each man to 
find himself and deliver 100 rails for every acre 
cleared." This "turnip patch" extended along 
the edge of the woods on the western side 



of the "meadows," and it is a fair inference 
that the ground for it had been ploughed, and 
the seeding done at the usual time, in the 
preceding spring. Later on in that year, other 
persons were employed in cutting down bushes, 
or "sculping" as it is called in the time-record, 
and James Ross, Thomas Blood, Timothy 
Carrol, James Develin,, James McGlaughin and 
Moses Boggs are named as being engaged in 
this capacity on the Uth of September. In 
the ensuing summer, 1799, the work of put- 
ting this marshy bottom into an available con- 
dition, was resumed. On the 4th of June, 
Andrew Gebhart was "hauling rails;" on the 
10th, 11th and 12th, he and Nicholas Gebhart 
were "making fences," and Robert Healthy 
was domg some "grubbing;" on the 28th and 
29th, Pat. Kerrighan and James McCauley 
were constructing "brush fences," and on the 
first three days of July, Jacob Weis. accord- 
ing to the books from which the various items 
of information concerning these improvements 
have been culled, was "breaking up new land 
in the beaver meadows, with Andrew." On 
August 21st and 22d, Jacob Meyer "cradled 
oats in the bottom," which must have been 
sown early in the season, for that is usually 
done as soon as the ground can be worked ; 
and from_ the 22d to the 28th inclusive. Kerrig- 
han, besides digging trenches, was "making 
brush fences," one of them on the last day 
specified, "around the new buckwheat field, 
in the beaver dam." These extracts prove 
conclusively that the wide stretch of low land 
on the western side of the Moshannon. with 
its fenced fields of grain and vegetables, was 
much better utilized a century ago than any 
one would infer from its present neglected ap- 
pearance. 



The foregoing, selected from hundreds of 
items in the time record, are presented for 
the purpose of imparting to the reader a cor- 
rect idea of the labors and characteristics of 
the pioneers, as well as the kind and extent of 
the improvements made — of showing that the 
Philipses began the development of their 
property in the beginning of 1797, if not al- 
ready in the previous year — that a saw mill 
was put in operation in the summer, and a 
grist mill in the fall of 1798; and that more 
people than has heretofore been supposed 
were in this locality during the years specified, 
for, in addition to the names already given, 
there are among the emploirees those of Sam- 
uel Beatty, Jonathan Coulter, John Hutton, 
Fred. Kaucher, John Potter, James Pugh, 
George Rockey and Jacob Wachob. 

It should be kept in mind that all the oc- 
currences thus far related took place during 
the first three years of the town's existence, 
ending with the one about Pat. Kerrighan 
"making a brush fence around the new buck- 
wheat field in the beaver dam" on the 28th 
of August, 1799. It was after this date, prola- 
ably in the beginning of December, that Hen- 
ry Philips, with "Kfe's taper nearly burned 
out," went east and never came hither again ; 
but some additional facts about him will be 
found in the second part of this narrative. 



13 



History of Philipsburg 



PART II. 

Facts About the First Settlers, Industries, 
Enterprises, Etc. 

A FEELING of dissatisfaction, as has al- 
ready been intimated, pervaded the 
population of the new town, and even- 
tually influenced, with a single ex- 
ception, the course of all the original set- 
tlers. Joseph Barth was the first of the 
pioneers to leave the place, and this might 
have been expected from a man not adapted, 
either by habits or temperament, to a quiet, 
backwood's life. During the time of the 
French revolution, which unsettled the peace 
of Europe near the end of the last century, 
he had quit his native city of Strasburg, and 
accompanied by his sisters Mariana and 
Rosalie, descended the Rhine, proceeded to 
Amsterdam in Holland, from thence_ sailed to 
Philadelphia, and afterwards came with others 
to the new settlement, of which they had 
heard flattering accounts. Rosalie Barth mar- 
ried Jacob Dimeling. They had one child, 
which was also named Jacob, and the latter 
in turn became the father of the present Jacob 
Dimeling, of Blue Ball. Several months after 
the birth of their baby, the elder Dimeling 
returned to Philadelphia to settle_ up some 
business affairs in that city. While on the 
way back he was taken dangerously ill, and 
stopped at Pottsgrove, Northumberland coun- 
ty. His wife was sent for and arrived barely 
in time to see him die. So she returned a 
widow. Jacob Meyer, who had married her 
sister Mariana Barth, removed to Centre Fur- 
nace, east of the Allegheny mountain, on the 
28th of October, 1798. William Leary and 
James McCauley left later on, but it is not 
known whither either of them went. Dr. 
Konrad Bergman had meanwhile sought a 
location more congenial to his tastes in Hunt- 
ingdon county, where he "lived long and pros- 
pered." He had a son who afterwards be- 
came a prominent physician. Christian Ries 
removed to Elder's Mill, and when Simler, as 
will appear further on, left the town, the 
pioneers were all gone but Schultz. He was 
the only one who remained here until the 
day of his death. 

The first "house" in the town, a typical 
"log cabin," was put up by Mr. Schultz on 
the south-east corner of Presqueisle and Sec- 
ond streets, where Geo. Naugle formerly had 
a jewelry store and Russell Bigelow has his 
marble and granite works at present. John 
Henry Simler had at the same time com- 
menced another on the corner of Front and 
Laurel streets, on the lot now occupied by 
Mrs. Pierce's fine residence, but being con- 
structed of hewed logs more time was re- 
quired to build and complete it. The circum- 
stances under which Simler left the German 
"Vaterland" are to some extent conjectural, 
but as he was an expert at making ladies' 
footgear, and had a recommendation to that 
effect in French, he probably hoped to earn 
better wages on the western side of the bor- 
der. To what extent he succeeded is also a 
matter of inference, but the subsequent and 
more eventful part of his career is perspicu- 
ously epitomized in an obituary notice pub- 



lished in the "Philadelphia Saturday Bulletin" 
of Oct. 24th, 1829. It is there stated that 
"in the year 1780, Simler enlisted in France 
as a private, and served in Captain Barth's 
corps of the First Troop of Light Dragoons, 
under the command of Col. Armand. He ar- 
rived in Boston and proceeded with his troop 
to Yorktown, Virginia, at which memorable 
siege he was present, and assisted in its cap- 
ture by the united forces of America and 
France, Oct. 19th, 1781. He was wounded in 
the forehead and eye by a saber and retained 
the scar as long as he lived. He remained 
in the service until regularly discharged at 
Philadelphia, although the greater part of the 
troop was discharged, immediately after the 
surrender, at Yorktown. On the termination 
of the war he married and settled in Phila- 
delphia, where he remained about fifteen years. 
In 1793 he lost his wife by yellow fever. He 
then married a second time, and in 1797 re- 
moved to Philipsburg, Centre countv, a per- 
fect wilderness at that time. He resided there 
until he lost his second wife in the year 1822. 
In 1825 he again removed to Philadelphia, 
with his only son, where he lived until his 
death, about ten days ago." The newspaper 
from which this notice was copied, although 
seventy odd years have elapsed since it was 
printed, is in an excellent state of preserva- 
tion. It is in the possession of George B. 
Simler, Sr., a grandson of the plucky revolu- 
tionary hero, and one of our most reputable 
citizens, who also retains as an invaluable relic 
the old saber which his grandsire wrested 
from the British officer who came so near 
ending his life but lost his own in the san- 
guinary encounter. 

John George Schultz, before coming to 
this country, led an adventurous life. It ap- 
pears that when Frederick the Great _ suc- 
ceeded his father, he left in force an edict of 
"Old Fritz," which declared that_ the second 
son of every man in the realm, rich or poor, 
"belonged to the State," and compelled him 
to enter the service of the King as soon as 
he was old enough to handle arms properly. 
It was for this reason that young Schultz had 
to abandon the paternal shelter and put him- 
self at the disposal of that illustrious warrior 
whose fame had spread over the civilized 
world. Availing himself of a privilege that 
was extended to all, Schultz chose the life 
of a sailor rather than that of a soldier, and 
commenced his career by making voyages to 
Copenhagen, Stockholm, St. Petersburg and 
other large cities along the Baltic Coast. He 
frequently went to London and Liverpool, 
the West Indies and Philadelphia. He also 
sailed up the Mediterranean into European, 
African and Asiatic ports, and on one oc- 
casion witnessed at night an eruption of Mt. 
Etna, which he described as a most solendid 
and magnificent sight. Shortly after the ter- 
mination of the Revolutionary War in Amer- 
ica, he "cast anchor" for the last time at 
Philadelphia, quit the seafaring life, and en- 
gaged in mercantile pursuits. The restraints 
of business soon became irksome and this, 
with the promptings of his roving and_ ven- 
turesome disposition, probably induced himto 
make the toilsome journey to a place which 
he and his companions had been led to be- 



14 



History of Philipsburg 



Heve possessed advantages that would inevit- 
ably bring ease and plenty. He was no lag- 
gard, and instead of brooding over the dis- 
appointrnent which all felt, promptly com- 
menced improving the lots that were assigned 
to him. He built, as has already been stated, 
his "cabin," and cleared a portion of the out- 
lot. After a while Dimeling died. As time 
passed on, Schultz evidently considered that 
it was "not good for man to be alone," and 
so he made overtures to the young widow and 
married her. The date of this event has not 
been learned. John, the eldest son, was born 
in 1804. Next came George, in 1806 ; Henrv. 
in 1808, and Frederick, in 1811. The last 
named died young. 

Schultz, in addition to having erected the 
first "house" in Philipsburg, enjoyed the dis- 
tinction of opening the first "tavern," which 
he did immediately after his marriage. He 
named it "The Seven Stars"probably after the 
famous Manchester Inn, still standing a few 
years ago, but first licensed in 1356, the 
memorable year in which Edward, the Black 
Prince, captured King John of France in the 
battle of Poitiers — and painted a correspond- 
ing number of astral figures on a sign about 
two feet square. In the centre of the panel 
was one large star, and this was surrounded 
by six smaller ones. There was a wooden 
bowl on the top, and at the two ends it had 
turned ornaments that were possibly intended 
to represent bottles and goblets. As a whole 
it was a unique and artistic piece of handi- 
work, the frame of which is yet in the pos- 
session of his grandsons, Christopher C. and 
Frederick W. A., who with their sister Sarah, 
reside on "the old homestead," from which 
a fine view of Philipsburg and the surround- 
ing country is obtainable. During the pre- 
valence of a severe storm that occurred some 
time after Mr. Schultz had opened his tavern, 
a large tree was blown across the building, 
crushing in the roof and doing other damage. 
This accident, together with the fact that 
John Henry Simler had started another tavern, 
influenced him in quitting the business, be- 
lieving that the town could not surviort more 
than one public house. An Englishman named 
Wrigley, who had purchased two squares of 
lots between Front street and the creek, en- 
tertained a different opinion on the subject 
and hence also opened a tavern, (they were 
not then called hotels), in a large house 
which he had built on one of his most eligible 
lots. In 1816, "the year without a summer," so 
designated because there was ice and frost in 
every month, Wrigley sold his house with all 
his other property to Jacob Test and James 
McGirk, who continued the business, and like- 
wise erected a tannery on the ground oppo- 
site Swift & Co.'s large meat establishment. 
The Hale building, Adam Mayer's house, the 
Potter block, the Piatt-Barber Co.'s wholesale 
stores, the P. R. R. passenger station, and the 
buildings of Hon. C. A. Falkner, Amos Har- 
per and Robert Hudson were all put up on 
the Wrigley lots. 

The weather conditions of 1816, referred 
to above, were extraordinary not only here 
but everywhere. January was mild for a win- 
ter month, and so was February, with the ex- 
ception of a few of the first days. March 



came in with its usual icy winds, but mod- 
erated somewhat toward its close. April be- 
gan with sunshiny weather but ended in ice, 
snow and wintry temperature. In May the 
frost destroyed all vegetables, ice formed to 
the thickness of half an inch, and corn was 
killed in the fields. June was cold, with "ten 
inches of snow in Vermont, seven inches in 
Maine, three inches throughout Massachusetts 
and Central New York, and the mercury sunk 
below the freezing point even in southern lati- 
tudes." July came in with frost, and on the 
glorious Fourth ice covered pools and brooks 
as far south as Virginia. "The climax came 
in August, when the ice was thicker than in 
July, and almost every green thing in this 
country and Europe was frozen." By the time 
September was ushered in "people had given 
up all hope of again seeing the flowers bloom 
or of hearing the birds sing, and began to 
prepare for a hard winter." October kept up 
the reputation of its predecessor, and "there 
was scarcely a day during the whole month 
that the thermometer registered higher than 
30 degrees." November was extremely cold 
but, strange to say, December was milder than 
any other month in the whole year, and led 
many persons to believe the seasons had 
changed about. Breadstuff's rose to an un- 
precedented price, and it was almost impos- 
sible to obtain common vegetables for table 
use, as what were on hand were being care- 
fully kept for seed. In the spring of 1817 
corn for planting was obtained with difficulty 
at $5 a bushel, and flour sold in the cities 
at $18 per barrel. These high prices proved 
more troublesome to the inhabitants of this 
new section of country than they did to people 
living nearer the source of supply in the set- 
tlements east of the mountain. 



The departure at an early date of most 
of the first settlers must have been somewhat 
discouraging to the Philipses, and as others 
were slow in coming to take their places, they 
offered a town lot, but no outlot, to the next 
twelve, coupled with the condition that each 
one who accepted was to build a hewed log 
house, in a reasonable time, on the donated 
ground. This proposition did not have the 
desired effect, for Samuel Turner, it seems, 
was the only one who availed himself of it. 
If any others obtained lots on the same terms, 
their names have not been ascertained. Sev- 
eral persons, however, secured locations on 
closely adjacent lands, and the old account 
books furnish some positive information on 
the subject. In the time record it is noted 
that, on August 28th, 1798, Peter Young was 
"showing the land to Goss and Colbert ;" on 
the 24th of October following, James Develin 
and Henry Rockey were "helping Goss (Abra- 
ham) raise a cabin on his place," and a vear 
later Nicholas Gebhart was "helping him put 
up a house." These entries fix definitely the 
time when the well-known "Goss settlement" 
was started. The older members of this 
family have all been "gathered to their people," 
but their descendants are numerous, and as 
a rule strongly resemble their progenitors in 
their physical appearance and mental charac- 
teristics. The Gosses have naturally rather 
contented dispositions, but the younger ones 



15 



History of Philipsburg 



have been gradually drifting away from their 
old homes and a few years ago two or three of 
them, with their wives and children, became 
residents of Philipsburg. 

Heretofore it has also been alleged that, in 
1801, Jacob Weis, a native of Berks county, 
commenced clearing the land which in more 
recent years has been called "the old Hawkin's 
place." The record in the Philips' ledger 
mentions the fact that John Leopoldt, James 
McCauley and Peter Younge "were at a rais- 
ing with Jacob Weis, on his farm," on Mon- 
day, Oct. 8th, 1798, and also represents James 
Ross, Samuel McGlaughlin, John Leopoldt and 
two of the millwrights as being "at a raising 
with Robert Anderson," on September 30th, 
1798. These memoranda, made as a matter 
of business, render it certain that the Goss, 
Weis and Anderson improvements were be- 
gun in 1798. Peter Younge, Michael Fitzer 
and Joseph Earls doubtless commenced theirs 
in 1801. In 1803, Valentine Flegal purchased 
from James Philips the land directly oppo- 
site town now owned by the Steiner heirs, 
and about the same time John Carothers was 
clearing a piece at Weis' bridge, afterwards 
called Benton's, and now Troy bridge. Dur- 
ing the same year a man named Potter com- 
menced a clearing a couple miles north of 
the creek, on the line of the old State road. 
Potter sold his interest to Nicholas Kline, who 
afterwards conveyed it to the father of Wil- 
liam Schimmel. Meanwhile Nicholas Kep- 
hart, Henry Kephart, David Flegal, Absalom 
Pearce, John Gearhart, Benjamin Schmeal 
and Nicholas Schmeal made improvements at 
different points, not many miles from town. 
In 1803, Conrad Kyler a weaver from Belle- 
fonte, settled on the farm which in later years 
was owned by that kind-hearted man, Ed- 
ward Perks, Sr. ; and in 1805, Leonard Kyler, 
the eldest son of Conrad, began clearing the 
"Hard-Scrabble" property, adjoining that of 
his father. The latter is part of the land 
which the Bloomington Coal Company pur- 
chased in 1899 from the Nuttal estate. 



It is a mistake to suppose that three of 
the Philips' brothers had their abode here at 
one and the same time. Henry, as has been 
demonstrated, came first, and then Nat, as 
he was familiarly called. There is nothing 
from which to infer what the latter did, or 
in what capacity he acted. It does not seem 
credible, however, that in the midst of stir 
and toil he had naught else to do than "while 
away the hours," as if he were on a pleasure 
outing, or paying his elder brother a fraternal 
visit. Henry, for his part, never received the 
credit he deserved. As the representative 
of the Manchester firm, he not only purchased 
the lands, looked up the site and had the 
town located, but, reading between the lines 
of the time record's almost bewildering details, 
a few of which are given in preceding pages, 
it is evident that he was a very busy man, 
and endowed with such practical abilitv as 
enabled him to successfully manage the com- 
plicated affairs of the settlement in the early 
stages of its development. Overworked and 
harrassed with care, his physical strength gave 
way at last and forced him to relinquish the 



multifarious and onerous duties which had 
fallen to his lot. It is probable that James, 
who was carrying on an immense importing 
trade with chartered ships, brigs and sloops, 
may have made occasional trips from the city 
to the new town to keep in touch with its 
progress, and when the impaired health of his 
brother demanded rest and change of climate, 
he journeyed hither, near the end of 1799, for 
the purpose of accompanying him to Philadel- 
phia, where the latter died in the closing 
week of 1800. James, who succeeded Henry^ 
placed his city affairs in charge of other per- 
sons, and "prosecuted the attempt to settle 
the estate until 1809," when he also died. It 
is a matter of regret that so little is known 
of what these two men had actually to con- 
tend with while here, but considering the re- 
moteness of their location and the unusual sur- 
roundings confronting them constantly, it 
does not seem as if they felt, like David of 
old, that "the lines had fallen unto them in 
pleasarit places." 

During the spring of 1809 Mr. Hardman 
Philips arrived in the town, which, contrary 
to the prevailing belief, was from its com- 
mencement called "Philipsburg," and is so 
written as early as July 7th, 1797, in the or- 
iginal day-book from which this date has 
been copied. The name is used in a number 
of additional instances in that year, and from 
August 17th, 1798, the page headings of the 
day-book all commence with the word "Phil- 
ipsburg," a fact which leaves no room for 
doubt on the point in question. By a family 
arrangement made in 1811, Hardman became 
the sole owner of the estate in this country 
and devoted his time and large sums ^ of 
money towards its development. According 
to his own statement, he expended on these 
lands, in various ways, £27,000 sterling, near- 
ly $135,000 of our money, during the ensuing 
twenty-five years. In 1817 he built a forge 
directly below the dam on Cold Stream, which 
now supplies our citizens with some of the 
purest water that ever "trickled through 
crevic'd rock" or flowed from mountain 
springs. The pig iron used in it was hauled 
across the Alleghenies in wagons from Julian 
and other furnaces in the Bald Eagle valley. 
The business, varying in volume up to 1830. 
was continued after that time on a reduced 
scale until the buildirtg was destroyed by fire 
on the 3d of August. 1836, when it ceased 
entirely. The same year in which the forge 
was put up, (1817), Mr. Philips brouoht_ Wil- 
liam Bagshaw from England and constituted 
him general manager of his affairs, a position 
for which he was well qualified and held for 
many years. He was succeeded by Richard 
Atherton, who died on April 26th, 1872, in 
the 63d year of his age. Mrs. Atherton, whose 
maiden name was Marv Ann Morrow, died 
April 23d, 1895, aged 80 years. They had 
three children — Sophie, (Mrs. Elias W.Hale), 
Austin and Mary. The last two died a few 
years ago. In 1818, Jacob Ayers, accom- 
panied by his son Daniel, came here from 
Reading and bought the land which in later 
years was called the Shaw farm. William 
Ayers, J. Blake Ayers, Mrs. Rebecca Nelson, 
Mrs. Mary E. Ryman and Miss Sophie Ayers, 



16 



History of Philipsburg 



five of Daniel's children, are citizens of the 
town at the present time. 

****** 

In the early days of Philipsburg the vil- 
lagers had few sources of amusement or en- 
tertainment. Month in and month out they 
plodded on with little change in their monoton- 
ous course, toiling constantly but cheerfully, 
and hopefully looking forward for brighter and 
better times. It is true that the spring "mus- 
ter" or training day, with its grotesque walk- 
ing-stick and corn-stalk drill, afforded them 
considerable diversion, and if the evolutions 
of the participants were not in strict accord- 
ance with the rules of a modern manual, the 
custom had nevertheless the merit of keeping 
alive the martial spirit of the male portion 
of the population. One day, however, in the 
month of August, 1813, without any intima- 
tion of what was to happen, the usually peace- 
ful inhabitants were thrown into a state of 
high excitement by the arrival of 500 soldiers, 
who were marching along the old State Road 
on their way to the northern frontier. Some 
of the officers were quartered in the houses 
of citizens, but most of the men were en- 
camped on an open space covering the square 
between Presqueisle and Laurel, and North 
Front and Second streets, where the Foster, 
Gray, McCausland, Taylor and other build- 
ings are now located. They remained several 
days with the expectation of being joined by 
some additional companies, but as the latter 
failed to get here as soon as had been antici- 
pated, they left without them. 

During their stay the soldiers indulged in 
many wild pranks, and were on the lookout 
for anything that might afford them "fun." 
Having learned that several blatant "tories" 
resided in the neighborhood, they scouted 
around until they found them, whereupon they 
threatened to shoot one, to tar and feather 
another, and impose upon a third some other 
humiliating punishment. They made one poor 
wight turn a grindstone on which to sharpen 
their "tomahawk": and scalping knives," with an 
intimation that if it was not kept revolving rap- 
idly they might have to use these weapons on 
him, and the trembling man continued the tire- 
some work until he had to quit through sheer 
exhaustion. They likewise did some foraging 
in the adjacent fields, using Mr. Schultz's 
"roasting ears" quite freely, for which Capt. 
Stem, before departing, paid liberally, but it 
is doubtful if a couple of the former's neigh- 
bors, who were averse to this mode of fur- 
nishing supplies, were treated in the same 
considerate manner. At a later date other 
soldiers going to the front came here occa- 
sionally, and a squad of recruiting officers, on 
visiting the place, enlisted a dozen or more 
of men, two of whom joined the command 
of Commodore Perry on Lake Erie. 

Up to the time these incidents happened the 
growth of Philipsburg seems to have been 
rather slow, for the Schultz map on the re- 
verse side of the title page, which gives the 
location of the different houses and the ac- 
companying key the names of their owners or 
occupants, shows that in 1813 it had only 
about two dozen buildings of various kinds 
within the present borough limits, but it will 



not be improper to state that, through the 
stimulus given by its industrial plants, it be- 
came a thriving village at the end of that de- 
cade. Another interesting feature of this map 
is the "Indian Camp" between the old State 
Road and the Moshannon, and while there is 
nothing to indicate who were its occupants, 
it is likely they were some of the Cornplanter 
tribe still remaining in this locality. This 
much can, however, be safely surmised, that 
no unfriendly Indians would have been per- 
mitted to rendezvous here as long as hostilities 
between the Americans and the British were 
in progress, as they were then, along the Can- 
adian border and in the Lake region. 



It is an especially noteworthy fact, known 
to comparatively few persons, that the first 
Screw mill in the United States was erected 
in 1821 by Mr. Hardman Philips in this little 
mountain village, hundreds of miles distant 
from any of the great marts of the country. 
The necessary buildings were put up near the 
Moshannon creek, on a lot now belonging to 
Brermo Bordereaux, in a suburb of the town 
that is called Point Lookout, and the foundry 
and grist mill were subsequently removed from 
the neighlsorhood of the forge to this locality 
also. The capacity of the screw factory was 
1,500 gross per week, but the largest quantity 
produced during the time it was in operation 
was 1,000 gross per week, the material for 
which was prepared from the blooms by roll- 
ing and wire drawing machinery operated by 
steam and water power. The nearest and best 
market was at Pittsburg, and the products of 
the forge and screw mill had to be hauled at 
no inconsiderable expense to the waters of the 
Allegheny River in wagons, and from thence 
transported in arks to their destination. 

It would be interesting to learn what wages 
were paid to skilled mechanics during the 
prosperous days of the screw factory, but 
nothing bearing directly on that point has 
been ascertained. The only thing relative to 
wages are some entries in a day-book kept at 
the mill, setting forth the sums paid employees 
a dozen years after it had been started, and 
at a time when, for reasons that will here- 
after be mentioned, the business had greatly 
declined. Among the accounts is one for "work 
in the months of December, 1833," which, how- 
ever, does not specify in what capacitv the 
persons named were acting. It is as follows : 



Wm. McClellan, 


21} days at S20.00 


per mo. 


S16.34 


John Kinnear, 


24 " 


" 1.50 


" day 


36.00 


Dennis McCoy, 


23 " 


" 18.00 


" mo. 


15.92 


Samuel Dale, 


24} " 


" 17.00 


H It 


16.18 


John Flegal, 


21J •• 


" 1.25 


" day 


27.18} 


Samuel Burris, 


24 " 


" 22.00 


" mo. 


20.30 


W. M. Hamer, 


7} " 


.75 


" day 


5.8U 


Wm. Ayres, Jr. 


8} " 


" .75 


** '* 


6.18} 


Georgre Ayres, 


7J- " 


.75 


" " 


5.81i 


Daniel Ayres, 


17 " 


.75 


" " 


12.75 


Adam Gray, 


26 " 


" 19.00 


" mo. 


19.00 


James Albert 


26 " 


" 17.00 


" *' 


17.00 


A. Albert, Jr., 


26 " 


•• 12.00 


" '* 


12.00 


John Hudson, 


26 " 


" 17.00 


" " 


17.00 


F. Nield, (3 in Nov.) 


29 " 


.31i 


" day 


9.06} 


George Schultz, 


2Ii " 


" .87J 


" " 


18.81} 


Wm. Ayres, Sr., 


5 " 


.75 


" " 


3.75 



17 



History of Philipsburg 



In addition to the improvements already 
described, Mr. Philips erected a fine mansion, 
in those days called "Moshannon Hall," oc- 
cupied in 1813, and for half a dozen years 
longer by Dr. Dewees, later by himself, and 
is at present owned by Mrs. Laura Hale Mull 
and her sister Miss Julia Hale. Subsequently 
he built the residence of Richard Plumbe, 
which in more recent years was the property 
of Mrs. O. P. Jones, but now belongs to Hon. 
P. E. Womelsdorf; likewise a large and com- 
modious hotel, and also started an excellent 
stock farm that embraced the great stretch 
of "Beaver Meadows" on the west side of 
the Moshannon, through which wide ditches 
had in early days been dug for drainage pur- 
poses. The manager of this farm was John 
Matley who, in 1823, married Jane Mitchell, 
the only daughter of John and Isabella Allen 
Mitchell, of Clearfield county. The Matleys 
had thirteen children, of whom Allen, How- 
ard, Mrs. Perks, Mrs. Simler, Mrs. Bor- 
dereau and Mrs. Ardell are still living. Their 
descendants, like the seed of the patriarch 
Abraham, "multiplied exceedingly," so that 
they can be found not only in this town and 
neighborhood, but in distant parts of the 
land. Dr. John Plumbe, who was connected 
with Mr. Philips in some of his business en- 
terprises, was sent to England in 1820 and 
brought hither a number of persons, some of 
whom were employed in the different works, 
and others on the stock farm. 

Though a little out of chronological order, 
it may as well be stated here that at a later 
date, probably in 1828, Dr. Plumbe built a 
forge on Six-Mile run, a short distance north 
of the Philipsburg and Unionville pike, at a 
point where water was abundant and wood, 
without hauling, could be run on slides down 
the face of the steep hills, nearly to the forge 
itself. _ The pig-iron used in it was procured 
at Julian, Martha and Hanna furnaces in Bald 
Eagle valley, and the forged iron was hauled 
to Alexandria and Petersburg, in Huntingdon 
county, to be shipped elsewhere on the canal. 
In 1832 the property was purchased by David 
Adams, the father of our townsman Oscar 
Adams. After conducting the business seven 
years. Mr. Adams sold a half interest to Dr. 
Ingalls, and for three years longer the forge 
was run under the management of the new 
firm. Dr. Plumbe went west in 1834 and lo- 
cated at Dubuque, Iowa, where, through his 
own agenc}', it is said, he brought his event- 
ful life to a lamentable end, in the year 18-57. 
Among the men who accompanied him from 
England in 1820, was Thomas Lever, for 
whom the stone house, since transformed into 
the Schoonover block, was built. When the 
screw factory was put in operation, he was 
made its overseer. He later on married a 
daughter of John Loraine, Esq., who had been 
induced to come here from Philadelphia bv 
another son-in-law, Dr. William P. Dewees. 
Mr. Loraine had meanwhile purchased the 
Simler property on Front street and opened 
in it a general store. As a consequence of 
this sale, Mr. Simler, in 1813. built another 
house on the northeast corner of Second and 
Laurel streets, in more recent years known 
as the Barr property, but is now owned by W. 



A. H. Streamer, and occupied by Archie B. 
Thomas as a bakery. 

Dr. Dewees, it appears, had made an in- 
effectual effort to secure the chair of one of 
the Professors in the University of Penn- 
sylvania, which had become vacant during the 
war period of 1812. Chagrined at his failure, 
he came to Philipsburg in 1813, and invested 
largely in the Philips enterprises. He re- 
mained here six or seven years, during which 
time he extended his practice to Clearfield, or 
Oldtown, as it was more generally called in 
those days. Business affairs did not, how- 
ever, prosper as he had anticipated, and when 
his means were exhausted, he disposed of his 
interest at a sacrifice and returned to Phila- 
delphia a poor man. Encouraged by Dr. Chap- 
man, Dr. Physick and other old friends, he 
soon gained a competency, eventually suc- 
ceeded in getting the coveted professorship, 
and through his superior ability and contritju- 
tions to medical literature, placed himself at 
the head of his profession in this country. 
After his departure. Dr. Ingalls, of Half Moon, 
and physicians from Bellefonte, attended to 
the ailments of people in this neighborhood 
until 1822, when Mr. Philips made arrange- 
ments with Dr. Alex. McLeod, of Philadel- 
phia, to come here. The latter remained un- 
til 1830, when he removed to Lewistown. from 
thence to Pittsburg, and subsequently to Mead- 
ville. The loss of his wife and most of his 
children changed the current of his thoughts 
and induced him to prepare for the ministry. 
In 1845 he took orders in the Episcopal 
Church, wended his way to Mississippi and 
Louisiana, followed his new calling there un- 
til 1849, when he returned to Pennsylvania, 
and a few years later became the rector of 
St. Andrew's church in Clearfield. He was 
an able and zealous minister, held in the high- 
est esteem by all who knew him, and died 
greatly deplored by the community in which 
he spent his last days. In 1830 Dr. Frederick 
Horner was engaged by Mr. Philips, but left 
at the end of two years, when a French doc- 
tor, named Rodrigue, took his place. His 
stay was also short, and he was followed, in 
1834, by Dr. Henry Loraine, who remained un- 
til 1837. Dr. Loraine was somewhat eccentric, 
but plain in dress and manners, a skillful, 
prudent and attentive physician, and when he 
died at Clearfield on the 8th of March, 1859, 
left a large estate to be divided among his 
children. Some of his grandchildren still live 
in this town. Since his' time there has been 
no lack of physicians to minister to the sick 
in this locality, but it would require too much 
space to make such mention of them as they 
deserve and ought to receive. 



The completion of the Pennsylvania canal 
in 1830, nearly destroyed the iron business of 
Mr. Philips. Up to that date he had been 
able to compete with the manufacturers of 
Huntingdon county, and derive some profit 
from the trade, but once the canal was opened 
those having works along its line enjoyed 
such advantages over him that he felt con- 
strained to abandon distant markets, and make 
only what iron was needed to supply the 
screw factory and an inconsiderable local de- 



18 



History of Philipsburg 



mand. This had a depressing effect on his 
business generally, and doubtless influenced 
to a greater or less extent all his subsequent 
movements. 

Hardman Philips was no ordinary man. 
He was progressive and enterprising. He had 
ideas greatly in advance of the age at that 
particular period of time. He contributed 
largely to the construction of the Philipsburg 
and Susquehanna turnpike, which was begun 
in 1820, and formed an important link in the 
line of communication with Lake Erie. In 
1826, (the same year in which the 4 miles 
of railway, the first in the United States, were 
completed to the granite quarries of Quincy, 
Massachusetts), Mr. Philips, as he stated in 
a letter written in 1835 to Hon. Alexander 
Irvin, then representing Centre, Clearfield and 
Lycoming counties in the State Senate, had 
surveys made at his own expense to "deter- 
mine the practicability of a route for the con- 
struction of a railroad" from this locality "to 
the Pennsylvania canal at the mouth of the 
Little Juniata." Having "discovered highly 
favorable ground," he applied to the Legisla- 
ture at an early date for An Act to incor- 
porate "The Philipsburg and Juniata Railroad 
Company." After considerable delay, a bill 
was eventually passed on the 20th of March, 
1830, six hundred shares of stock were sub- 
scribed, and most of the instalments paid up. 
Moncure Robinson, an experienced civil engi- 
neer, had, meanwhile, located the road, as Mr. 
Philips expressed it, "in a very superior man- 
ner." He ran a line from the "Moshannon 
Mines" at Philipsburg, but for the time be- 
ing "the point of commencement" was to be 
at the "Centre Coal Mines," about five miles 
south of the town. After crossing the sum- 
mit of the Allegheny, the route went down 
"Emigh's Gap," in sight of where the Tyrone 
& Clearfield road was built in later years. 
Several summers were consumed in perfecting 
the surveys, so that the engineer did not make 
a final report until October 23d, 1833. In a 
printed copy of this document the route is 
thus described: 

"Commencing at the Coal-Hill mines, at a 
level ten feet lower than the entrance to the 
principal drift, it passes on gently sloping 
ground, and on a level graduation, to the 
foot of an inclined plane, noted in the plan 
as No. 2 west, by which it ascends 143 feet 
and eight-tenths, to a depression in the di- 
viding ground between the waters of the Cold- 
stream and the Moshannon. Passing this di- 
viding ground by a cut of 9^ feet, it is thence 
traced, on a graduation also level, to the foot 
of inclined plane No. 1 west, by which it 
rises 118 feet to the summit level. Passing 
the summit by a cut 1100 feet long, and 11 
feet and six-tenths at the apex, it descends by 
a plane. No. 1 east, 272 feet, into the valley 
of Emigh's run, along the western slope of 
which it passes W2 miles, falling 655 feet 
more, by three inclined planes, and interven- 
ing grades of from 22 to 24 feet per mile. 
At the foot of plane No. 4 east, it leaves the 
valley of Emigh's run, and afterwards passes 
along the slope of the Bald Eagle valley to 
near the mouth of Bald Eagle creek. At this 
place it crosses the Bald Eagle, and is traced 



thence along the valley of the Little Juniata, 
crossing the stream four times between the 
mouth of the Bald Eagle and its point of 
termination near Petersburg. The whole 
length of Kne traced is twenty-eight miles and 
1247 feet ; its whole ascent above the coal 
mines is two hundred and sixty-one feet and 
seventy-nine one-hundredths ; and its whole 
descent is thirteen hundred and eighty feet." 
The crude, elementary manner in which 
the few short lines of railway then in opera- 
tion in the United States had been constructed, 
may be inferred from the following plan pro- 
posed by the engineer-in-chief for the Philips- 
burg and Juniata road: 

"Sills of white or post oak, seven feet ten 
inches long and 12 inches in diameter, flat- 
tened at bottom to a width of 9 inches, to be 
laid transverse the road, at a distance of five 
feet apart from centre to centre. In the 
notches of these sills, rails of white oak or 
heart pine, 5 inches wide by 9 inches in depth, 
to be secured four feet seven inches apart, 
measured within the rails. On the inner edges 
of these rails, plates of rolled iron, two inches 
wide by half an inch thick, resting at their 
points of junction on plates of sheet-iron, one- 
twelfth of an inch thick and 4^ inches long, 
to be spiked with five-inch wrought iron 
spikes. The inner edge of the wooden rails 
to be trimmed slightly beveling but flush at 
the point of contact with the iron rail, and 
to be adzed down outside the iron to pass 
off rain water. Between the sills, on the por- 
tion of the road between plane No. 4 east and 
the Juniata, and on the inclined planes, to be 
filled with a packing of broken stones, or 
other convenient material, to give stability to 
the structure. * * Such a superstructure would 
be entirely adequate to the use of locomotive 
engines of from 15 to 20 horse power, con- 
structed without surplus weight, or similar 
to those now in use on the Little Schuylkill 
road in this State, or the Petersburg, Vir- 
ginia, railroad." It is evident from these ref- 
erences that Mr. Philips wanted to adopt the 
best methods, and have the best motive power 
then known. 

In his "Description of the Route," the en- 
gineer makes suggestions which will no doubt 
appear quite odd to persons at the present 
time. He says, "the power to be applied to 
plane No. 1 west, might be a steam engine 
of twenty horse power which, until the de- 
mands of trade required its full effect, would 
be available for sawing timber or other pur- 
poses. For plane No. 2 west, it is proposed 
to conduct the water of Coldstream in pipes, 
one mile and 190 poles, along very favorable 
ground, to a reservoir at the head of the 
plane, placed at such an elevation as to ad- 
mit of filling cisterns, mounted on carriages, 
carrying from 3 to ^A tons of water — these 
cisterns to be used as in the ordinary opera- 
tion of self-acting planes, to lift up trains of 
loaded cars, and in turn the emnty cisterns 
to be lifted back to the head of the plane 
by returning trains, or the occasional use of 
a loaded cistern." No doubt was entertained 
of "this expedient realizing, both in efficiency 
and economy, every expectation entertained 
in relation to it." The roadway was to be 
singled tracked except at the inclined planes 



19 



History of Philipsburg 



and for a distance of four hundred feet from 
the head and foot of each plane, on which 
two tracks were to be laid. "Under proper 
regulations, and with transportation effected 
by the company," it was claimed that "such 
a work would be entirely adequate to a trade 
of from 150,000 to 200,000 tons per annum." 
which was considered quite large at that time, 
but appears rather small nowadays. 

"The inclined planes" are represented in 
the report as being "embraced in a distance 
of less than nine miles from the point of com- 
mencement, near Philipsburg." The word 
"near" does not mean "at" or "in" the town, 
for, as already intimated, the coal mines re- 
ferred to were at the head of Clover Run, in 
an easterly direction from Powelton and not 
far from where "Blasty" Stonebreaker now 
lives. If any confirmation of this statement 
were needed it can be found in the fact that 
the rise from "the entrance of the principal 
drift" to the summit of the mountain was 
only 262 feet and the distance to Petersburg 
but a fraction over 28 miles. Besides this, 
persons are still living who remember that, 
through the circumstance of a man named 
Lack Devine having taken a job of opening 
the drifts of the mines, the locality became 
known as "Lack's Hollow." 

The following summary is given as the es- 
timated cost of constructing the railroad: 

Section 1st, 3 miles and 2,535 feet. . $41,110.05 

" 2nd, 3 " " 93 " . . 31,039.63 

" 3rd, 2 " " 2,187 " . . 29,825.26 

4th, 5 " " 567 " . . 49,328.28 

5th, 2 " " 4,910 " . . 28,726.18 

6th, 5 " " 2,775 " . . 40.443.75 

7th, 5 " " 4,070 " . . 56,820.38 



$227,293.38 

"The above aggregate embraces no item for 
superintendence or contingencies. This, under 
ordinary circumstances, would be placed at 
7 per cent." In section 7 is "a level tunnel, 
1,300 feet long, through a spur of Tussey 
mountain," and is referred to Ijy the engineer 
as the principal item of expense" in that sec- 
tion. 

In making a forecast of the benefits to be 
derived from the construction of the projected 
railway, Mr. Philips stated that bituminous 
coal had already been used for puddling and 
air furnaces at Pittsburg and elsewhere — that 
by an experiment with one-third coke and two- 
thirds charcoal, made the previous year at 
Bald Eagle furnace, on the line of the rail- 
road, pig metal had been produced without its 
quality being in the least impaired, and he 
did not doubt that in furnaces then in opera- 
tion an equal quantity of each might be ad- 
vantageously used, but it would become in- 
dispensable to build the furnaces more lofty. 
On the advantages of using bituminous 
coal for generating steam, making illuminating 
gas, and for other purposes, he commented 
at some length, and drew conclusions that 
seem almost prophetic when viewed in the 
light of later experience with soft coal for the 
purposes indicated in his report, which was 
printed ^ in the same pamphlet with that of 
the engineer. 



In 1838, Wm. E. Morris completed another 
survey for Mr. Philips for a railway "intended 
to connect the Bald Eagle Navigation with 
the Coal Field and Pittsburg." The grade 
is represented as "in no case exceeding 45 
feet per mile— distance 84 miles from the 
summit at Emigh's Gap to Milesburg, and 
overcoming the summit of the Allegheny 
mountain without an inclined plane." This 
route and the one for the Philipsburg and 
Juniata Railroad are outlined on a map in the 
possession of Mrs. L. H. Mull, showing all 
the Philips' lands, sold and unsold, in this 
region, on the date given above. 

At a meeting of the Board of Managers 
held on the 2d day of December, 1833, Mr. 
Hardman Philips was elected President of 
the Company; Messrs. John Norris, David 
Stewart, John S. Isett, Wm. Bagshaw, John 
Matley and John Owens were chosen as Man- 
agers ; and Thomas Henry Potter as Secre- 
tary and Treasurer. 

Mr. Philips was very much in earnest 
about the project, but despite all his efforts it 
did not receive the encouragement it deserved, 
and he therefore offered to hypothecate to 
leading capitalists of Philadelphia the profits 
of his coal mines to guarantee an interest of 
six per cent, if they would advance the neces- 
sary funds. This failing, he tried to secure 
aid from the State, in shape of a guarantee 
of five per cent, for twenty-four years on 
$250,000, for the completion of the work, and 
a bill for this purpose was reported in the 
Legislature, but never acted on. He then un- 
dertook to form a stock company, 1,000 shares 
to be subscribed by citizens of the United 
States, and the rest to be placed in England. 
In furtherance of this plan he had an adver- 
tisement inserted in the London Morning 
Chronicle on the 18th of September, 1835, giv- 
ing full particulars and soliciting subscriptions 
from English investors.* He had meanwhile 
asked the Legislature for authority to make 
it a limited partnership, which he re.garded as 
an essential to success, and expressed thefe?r 
that without it his career of usefulness would 
be arrested, the estate in this country retro- 
grade to its former condition, his manufactur- 
ing establishments be ruined, many industrious 
persons thrown out of employment, and the 
home market for neighboring _ farmers _ de- 
stroyed. His project, considering the time, 
was one of great magnitude, and had it been 
carried into effect, his dream of making Phil- 
ipsburg a great industrial centre would have 
become a reality long ago. But the fates were 



•Copy of Mr. Philips' Advertisement. 

"PENNSYLVANIA COAL. LAND AND TIMBER 
COMPANY, NORTH AMERICA. To be incorporated by 
the State of Pennsylvania. Capital £135,000. in 6,750 
shares of £20 each. Deposits £2 per share, to be paid 
to Messrs. Presscott & Grote, Threadneedle street, or 
to Messrs. Cocks & Biddulph, Charing-Cross. the bankers 
of the comnany. 1.625 shares are already subscribed 
for; 3,125 shares only will be issued to the public at 
par: the remaining 2.000 shares will be subsequently is- 
sued at a premium, such premiums to be applied to the 
benefit of the holders of the 3,125 shares. Application 
for shares and prospectuses to be made, (if by letter, 
postpaid.) to Mr. Henry Brookmau, the Secretary. 10 
Bernes street, Oxford, or to Messrs. Clif & Pisher, 
solicitors. No. 1 Copthall-court, Throgmorton street, and 
36 Ely-place, Holborn." 

This "ad" sounds very much like one gotten up to 
finance a more modern mining project. 



20 



History of Philipsburg 



against him, the railroad was not built, and 
the sequel will show that his predictions were 
to some extent correct. 

The different works at Philipsburg had 
meanwhile been kept in operation. The manu- 
facture of screws was continued during the 
years 1835-36, but the burning of the forge 
in 1836 resulted in a suspension of work in 
1837. If Mr. Philips had any intention of re- 
suming, he made no effort to do so for a few 
years, and then it became infeasible through 
a circumstance that he could neither foresee 
nor control. It was this: In 1836, General 
Thomas W. Harvey, the father of Hayward 
Augustus Harvey, inventor of the world-re- 
nowned Harveyized armor plate for war ves- 
sels, removed to Poughkeepsie, N. Y. A 
screw manufacturing company was organized 
there during the same year. The elder Har- 
vey was one of the incorporators, and_ the 
plant was based on several of his inventions. 
These were finally patented in 1846. The pro- 
duct was the gimlet-pointed screw. The im- 
proved article, which was probably manufac- 
tured and placed on the market soon after the 
patent was "applied for," at once superceded 
the old blunt end screws, and as Mr._ Harvey 
would not dispose of even a shopright, no 
attempt was made to again start the Philips' 
factory. Mr. Philips had in the meantime 
concluded to dispose of all of his property in 
this region, the land alone footing up 73,164 acres 
and 153 perches on September 1st, 1838, and 
in 1844 he made an agreement for its sale to 
Daniel Ullman, a prominent citizen of New 
York, and Nathaniel Stanley, of Vermont, who 
furnished the larger part of the money that 
had to be paid in hand. These gentlemen 
came to Philipsburg and commenced opera- 
tions, but meeting with unexpected obstacles 
and business proving unremunerative, they 
were forced at the end of two years to annul 
their agreement. The residue of the estate 
was afterwards sold to Morgan, Hale & Co., 
who still hold portions of it, and Mr. Philips 
returned to England, where he died on the 5th 
of December, 1854, in the 71st year of his age. 

Some persons incline to the opinion that 
his departure was attributable to the untimely 
death of his two young sons on whom he had 
centered his hopes as the inheritors of his vast 
property holdings in this section of the country ; 
but it can more likely be traced to the fact 
that, regarding himself an English gentleman, 
and looking upon birth and wealth as of para- 
mount importance, he could not bring himself 
to believe that the governing power could be 
safely placed in the hands of the common 
people and, in addition to this, ridiculed the 
idea of ever becoming a citizen of the United 
States. Holding such views, he took umbrage 
at James Alport, who came here in 1827 and 
settled at old Morrisdale in 1828, when the 
latter announced his intention of being natural- 
ized, and as a consequence these two positive 
men — each of whom had enjoyed the advantages 
of high and refined social life in his native land 
— severed their friendship and continued bitter 
personal and political enemies until they met, 
face to face, at the communion table, a short 
time before Mr. and Mrs. Philips took fina! 
leave of the community with which they had 



been identified for so many years. The scene 
on that occasion is described as being some- 
what dramatic and quite affecting. Mr. Philips, 
broken down in health and leaning on the arm 
of his wife, approached and knelt at the chan- 
cel. Mr. Alport, whose inferior extremities 
were paralyzed, was carried forward and 
placed at his side. They gazed at each other. 
The fountains of their hearts were broken up. 
These men of strong will and determined pur- 
pose became as children. They wept, em- 
braced, and were reconciled. Mr. Alport had, 
in 1831, married Miss Matilda Hunter, a 
daughter of James Hunter, of Centre Furnace. 
They had seven children, of whom James 
Cramond, Mrs. Mary A. Berger and Mrs. J. 
Y. Dale are still living. Mr. Alport died in 
1854, the same year in which Mr. Philips 
passed away. Mrs. Alport, who had been af- 
flicted with lameness for many years but re- 
tained her mental faculties unimpaired until 
the last, died on the 2d of February, 1899, at 
the home of Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Holt, ven- 
erated and beloved by all who knew her. Her 
daughter, Mrs. Holt, died March 7th. 1901. 



Incidents, not connected with the regular 
course of affairs, took place occasionally, one 
of which characteristic of the persons engaged 
in it, will bear repetition. Mr. Philips, as the 
story runs, was anxious to shoot a bear and 
send part of it to his father in England. So 
he made it suit one day to meet Thomas Han- 
cock and Leonard Kyler, both skilled in wood- 
craft, and have them accompany _ him on a 
hunting expedition. Kyler had an intense dis- 
like for the British, but could not think of 
foregoing an opportunity of taking part in 
a species of sport of which he was very fond. 
As fate would have it, he was the first to 
come across a bear, and promptly shot it. 
This, under the circumstances, exasperated Mr. 
Philips so much that he indulged in some 
threatening remarks. As Kyler exhibited no 
signs of fear or concern about the matter, it 
was dropped without parley, and the hunt re- 
sumed. Another bear was soon tracked and, 
after an exciting chase, Mr. Philips dispatched 
it, a result that gratified him very much and 
likewise restored his good humor. On the 
way home a pigeon was seen alighting on the 
top of an unusually tall pine tree, and the 
question arose as to whether it could be shot 
on such a high perch. Kyler at once raised 
his rifle, took deliberate aim, and brought down 
the bird. Philips, admiring the other's skill, 
remarked in a jocular vein, "Why, I believe 
you could hit a man's eye at that distance." 
"Yes," dryly responded Kyler, who had not 
forgotten the bear episode, "I think I could 
if it was an Englishman's," and the significant 
glance he cast at Mr. Philips left no doubt as 
to what he meant. 



Philipsburg was regarded asa stirring and 
prosperous town during the time its manu- 
facturing establishments were in operation, but 
once they were permanently closed it became 
"a dull old place," and continued so until it 
was livened up by the woodsmen while the 
timber and log jobs lasted. Then stagnation 



21 



History of Philipsburg 



again set in, but when the Tyrone & Clearfield 
Railroad was completed to this point in 1864, 
and the coal mines were opened, Philipsburg 
soon gained the reputation of being the most 
stirring and progressive inland town in the 
State. Two disastrous conflagrations, the last 
one in 1876, destroyed the equivalent of two 
squares in the business part of the place, but 
larger and more commodious buildings were 
erected on the site of the burned ones, among 
them Mrs. H. Foster's block, the spacious 
stores of Gray, Wolf & Co., and those of W. 
H. McCausland, C. G. Hirlinger and Robert 
Taylor. Notwithstanding these destructive 
fires, a steady business pace was maintained 
until the setting in of the ruinous depression 
that was experienced all over the land in the 
last decade of the century recently closed, but 
which has gradually, and it is hoped perma- 
nently passed away. 

****** 

On the north side of Presqueisle street, be- 
tween Sixth and Seventh, stands the old 
"Union Church," an odd-looking edifice that 
is usually called the "old mud church." Its 
architecture bears traces of the Gothic style, 
but its general quaintness is apt to attract the 
attention of the passing stranger. In the little 
adjoining cemetery, "each in his narrow cell 
forever laid," some of the humble "forefathers 
of the hamlet sleep," and a few aged oaks 
and tall green pines keep constant vigil over 
their silent graves. Among the tombstones, 
enclosed by an iron fence, is a tasty white 
marble obelisk, with a bronze plate on one 
side of the base, which bears the following 
inscription : 

IN HOC SIGNO VINCES. 

In memory of Hardman Philips, 

the founder and benefactor of the settlement of 

Philipsburg, this cross is erected by his 

sorrowing widow, Sophia Philips. 

He was born Sept. 21, MDCCLXXXIV. 

Died Dec. Sth, MDCCCLIV. 

In Peace. 

Alongside, on a brick wall, is a large grey- 
stone slab, on which is the following record : 

Thomas Hardman Philips, died at Niagara 
Falls, Aug. 17th, 1824, aged 5 months and 4 
days. 

John Edwarjd Philips, died at Yellow 
Springs, Chester county, Aug. 11th, 1827, aged 
4 months. 

Hardman Lloyd Philips, died at Philips- 
burg, June 28th, 1833, aged 8 years and 4 
months. 

John Edward Philips, died at Philipsburg, 
July 8th, 1833, aged 4 years and 21 days. 

Sophia Latitia Philips, died at Hampton 
Court, Herefordshire, April 12th, 1837, aged 
14 years and 2 days. 

The two lads, Hardman Lloyd and John 
Edward the second, were the favorite chil- 
dren of Mr. Philips, and are the only mern- 
bers of the family who are buried here. Their 
death, so close together, was a grievous blow 
to the father, and when his daughter also died 
four years later in England, he seemed to lose 
the interest he had previously shown in his 



extensive business operations in this section 
of the country. 

Near the northwest corner of the same 
cemetery, in a plot enclosed by a neat galvanized 
iron railing, are several well-cared for graves. 
On two of the white marble tombstones ap- 
pear the names of John G. Schultz, one of the 
original pioneers, and of Rosalie, his wife. 
From the inscription it appears that she died 
on the 7th of Oct., 1842, aged 72 years, and 
he on the Sth of Dec, 1844, aged 83 years. 
His son, Frederick is also buried there, as 
are likewise some other members of the 
Schultz family. 

The lot on which the old church is stand- 
ing was part of the outlot that John G. Schultz 
received when he first came hither. As al- 
ready stated, he had cleared a portion of it, 
and when the early settlers needed a place for 
burying their dead, he permitted them to use 
it for that purpose. Afterward, when Mr. 
Philips wished to secure a burial ground he 
offered to exchange another piece for it, and 
Mr. Schultz having knowledge of a spring of 
excellent water in a small grove of sugar 
maples on the opposite side of the creek, ac- 
cepted four acres there in lieu of it. He later 
on purchased twenty odd acres adjoining, and 
the two pieces are embraced in the farm now 
owned by his grandchildren, Christohper C, 
Frederick W. A. and Miss Sarah Schultz. 

In the summer of 1900, Dr. Chas. E. Mc- 
Girk and his sister. Miss Annie, while look- 
ing over the papers of their grandfather, James 
McGirk, deceased, found several documents 
which place the little church and matters per- 
taining to it, in a new light. They show that 
the original building was erected in 1819 or 
1820, by a fund to which inhabitants of the 
village and neighboring settlers had generally 
subscribed, and was to be used as both a meet- 
ing and a school house. Mr. Philips, who 
owned the ground, and was doubtless also a 
contributor, executed a deed of trust for the 
property on the 12th of Nov., 1820, and named 
himself, Jacob Test and Jas. Collins as trus- 
tees. In 1834, the State Legislature was peti- 
tioned for and presumably granted authority 
permitting the qualified voters to elect trus- 
tees annually, and this has been done, with 
few exceptions, until the present time. In 
1842, the requisite amount of money "to repair 
and improve" the building, was also raised 
by subscription, and this list of contributors, 
as well as the first one, is among the McGirk 
papers. It was then that the inside was re- 
modeled, and by erecting a square tower at 
the front, putting an addition to the rear, 
changing the shape of the windows, and rough- 
coating the walls, that its present form and 
appearance was imparted to the outside. Some 
complaint about the heavy expense incurred, 
not only produced considerable discord at that 
time, but subsequently brought on an un- 
seemly contest between Mr. Philips and lead- 
ing citizens regarding the control of the edifice. 
An aftermath of trouble followed, for suit was 
entered on an alleged debt, judgment ob- 
tained, execution issued, a levy made, and the 
old church condemned for sale. Mr. McGirk 
and other interested persons took prompt 
steps to stop the proceedings. At August 



22 



History of Philipsburg 



term, 1846, a rule was granted for taking 
depositions, and at a later session the case 
was tried before Judge Woodward, who set 
aside the judgment on technical grounds that 
were laid do^Ti in the written opinion of the 
Court. An appeal to the Supreme Court was 
talked of, but it does not appear that anj' 
such action was taken. 

No regular services were observed in the 
old church prior to the building of the Trinity 
Episcopal edifice in 1833 or 1834, but Sunday 
worship, under the auspices of Mrs. Philips 
herself, was held at "the big house," as the 
people were wont to call the Philips' man- 
sion. Since then, denominations that pos- 
sessed no meeting house of their own have 
been using the old one as occasion required. 
Around it cluster many interesting memories, 
and it ought to be carefully preseri'ed as a 
comiecting link between the dead past and 
the living present, for not a vestige remains 
of the screw mill, forge or other manufactur- 
ing plants which in earlier days had been 
erected in the town by the enterprising men 
who then shaped and controlled its industrial 
affairs. 

J* 

PART m. 

The Borough Charter — Burgesses and Town Council- 
men — Public Buildings and Fire Companies. 

THE first effective movement for trans- 
forming the "village" of Philipsburg in- 
to a "borough" was made in the 3'ear 
1864. At that time no more than forty- 
five "freeholders" were residing within the 
proposed limits. Twenty-seven of these, be- 
ing a majority of all, as required b}' law, 
presented an application to the Court of Quar- 
ter Sessions of Centre County for a charter 
of incorxKiration, making certain necessary 
representations in their petition, and defining 
by courses and distances the territorj' that was 
to be embraced by the outer boundary lines. 
The signers were Charles R. Foster, Wesley 
Runk, Chester Munson, Levi Munson, Thomas 
B. Potter, Margaret Myers, G. F. Hoop, Oscar 
Adams, Thomas Hancock, E. F. Lloyd. Emily 
H. Jones, J. B. Hobenacker, Margaret Duross, 
Martha A. Williams, James C. Williams, 
Martha Ammerman. Samuel Fleck, Jesse L. 
Test, Hannah Glosby, Christina Ross. D. C. 
Nelson, Joseph Ferguson, Tane E. Steiner, 
Ellen J. Nelson, James Graham, Mary M. 
Ganoe and John D. McGirk. Here is one in- 
stance at least where "women's rights" were 
not only duly recognized but actually utilized, 
for in the list of petitioners are the names of 
no less than ten females, and without these it 
is doubtful if the requisite majority- of "free- 
holders" could have been obtained. At the 
August Sessions of 1864, the grand jury made 
a favorable report concerning the matter, after 
which it was laid over until the next term. 
On the 29th of November, 1864. the Court 
confirmed the report of the grand iur\' and 
decreed that "henceforth the town of Philips- 
burg shall be a borough, with all the rights 
and privileges thereunto belonging." The first 
election under this charter was held on the 



third Friday of February, 1865, Jesse L. Test 
being Judge, and John Hancock and J. C. Wil- 
liams, Inspectors, and a full list of municipal 
officers were chosen. 

The following is a list of the Burgesses and 
Town Councilmen, from the organization of 
the borough to the present time : 

1865. — Burgess, James C. Williams. Town 
Council, Chester Munson. Charles R. Foster, 
Albert Owens, J. D. I'lIcGirk, Levi Munson. 

1866. — Burgess, Thomas B. Potter. Coun- 
cil, G. F. Hoop, J. Y. Galer, John D. McGirk, 
Chares Copelin, Levi Munson. 

1867. — Burgess, William Riddle. Council, 
John D. McGirk, Peter Weber, Joseph Jones, 
James A. Ganoe, Asa Whitcomb. 

1868. — Burgess, Edward Perks. Council, 
Allen Faulkner, William Eboch, M. Johnston, 
J. S. Flegal, A. C. Bumgardner. 

1869. — Burgess, J. C. Williams. Council, 
Chester Munson, D. C. Way, O. Hancock, 
Chas. Copelin, Benj. Jones. 

1870. — Burgess, Matthew Johnston. Coun- 
cil, L. G. Dom, T. H. Switzer, John Peightal, 
J. W. ]\Iattern, Wm. Sterret. 

1871. — Burgess, M. Johnston. Council. Rob- 
ert Lloyd, T. B. Potter, D. C. Way. John W. 
Mattem, G. H. Ziegler. 

1872. — Burgess, George H. Ziegler. Coun- 
cil, Wm. H. Jones, Chester Munson, J. W. 
Daice}', Jacob W. Jones, E. H. Ellsworth. 

1873. — Burgess, G. H. Ziegler. Council, 
Robert Lloyd, W. H. Jones, Jacob W. Jones, 

D. S. Dubree, R. Hudson. 

1874. — Burgess, Wm. L. Harper. Council, 
Edward Perks, Robert Lloyd, J. W. Jones, W. 

E. Irwin, George C. Davison, Henry Stock- 
bridge. 

1875. — Burgess, William E. Irwin. Council, 
H. Stockbridge, W. H. Jones, G. W. Da^nson, 
H. Simler, Andrew Beck. 

1876.— Burgess, W. H. McCausland. Coun- 
cil, Harry Simler, Wm. Hudson. E. Bollinger, 
Robert Musser, E. P. McCormick, Owen Han- 
cock. 

1877.— Burgess, B. J. Laporte. Council, H. 
Simler. G. H. Ziegler, O. P. Jones, R. Lloyd, 
Samuel Miller, A. E. Ziegler. 

1878. — Burgess, J. N. Casanova. Council. 
Joseph Jones, S. K Fleck, W. G. Mvers. C. 
G. Hirlinger, C. A. Faulkner, John A. Lindsey. 

1879. — Burgess, Chester Munson. Council, 
Matthew Gowland, J. B. Childs, Geo. B. Sim- 
ler, J. W. Mattern, C. G. Hirlinger. 

1880. — Burgess, George B. Simler, Sr. Coun- 
cil, T. Sankev. B. J. Laporte. Benj. Jones. C. t 
G. Hirlinger," Isaiah Harr, J. W. Mattem, (re- 
signed). 

1881. — Burgess, Jeremiah Sankev. Council. 
C. Munson, Alfred Jones. A. T. Graham, 
Isaiah Harr. C. T. Frj-berger. G. W Hoover. 

1882.— Burgess, A. H. Smith. Council. R. 
Llovd, John A. Wolfe, W. E. Irwin. Hiram 
Hoffer, W. P. Duncan, A. V. Carpenter. 

1883. — Burgess. George E. Parker. Council. 
T. W. Jones. '^D. E. Bottorf. Owen Hancock, 
Henrv Lehman. O. S. Fleming. T. B. Potter, 
Fred.'Ramev, W. H. Sandford. D. W. Holt. 



23 



History of Philipsburg 



1884.— Burgess, E. P. McCormick. Coun- 
cil, T. B. Potter, D. W. Holt, Owen Hancock, 
G. B. Simler, A. J. Graham, William Stein, 
W. H. Borland, W. H. Wigton, H. Lehman. 
1885.— Burgess, E. P. McCormick. Council, 
Thomas B. Potter, W. H. Dorland, Wm. H. 
Wigton, A. J. Graham, George B. Simler, Ed- 
win Tyson, H. Lehman, John M. Holt, O. 
Hancock. 

1886. — Burgess, R. E. Munson. Council, 
E. Tyson, Henry Lehman, J M. Holt, W. H. 
Wigton, A. J. Graham, G. B. Simler, J. B. 
Childs, Austin Atherton, S. B. Row. 

1887.— Burgess, H. C. Warfel. Council, 
George B. Simler, Owen Hancock, W. H. 
Sandford, J. B. Childs, S. B. Row, E. Tyson, 
H. Lehman, John M. Holt, A. Atherton. 

1888.— Burgess, H. C. Warfel. Council, S. 

B. Row, W. H. Sandford, Thomas Doyle, W. 

C. Lingle, G. M. Rhule, W. H. Wigton, Owen 
Hancock, A. Atherton, J. B. Childs. 

1889.— Burgess, John Gowland. Council, 
W. H. Wigton, Thomas Barnes, Thomas Nor- 
ris, A. V. Hoyt, W. H. Sandford, T. Doyle, 
O. Hancock, W. C. Lingle, G. M. Rhule. 

1890.— Burgess, H. C. Warfel. Council, 
Thomas Barnes, W. H. Wigton, W. C. Lingle, 
George M. Rhule, Thos. Doyle, A. V. Hoyt, 
Lot Jones, J. N. Schoonover, Al. Jones. 

1891.— Burgess, R. E. Munson. Council, 
Thomas Barnes, J. N. Schoonover, George B. 
Simler, Lot Jones, W. C. Lingle, A. V. Hoyt, 
Robert Hudson, John Gowland, Al. Jones. 

1892. — Burgess, Andrew L. Bolger. Coun- 
cil, J. A. Hatch, David H. Parker, John E. 
Homer, W. C. Lingle, J. N. Schoonover, Lot 
Jones, G. B. Simler, Jr., A. Jones, W. H. 
Sandford. 

1893.— Burgess, A. L. Bolger. Council, David 
H. Parker, J. A. Hatch, P. E. Womelsdorf, 
M. B. Hysong, Grant Way, J. E. Homer, W. 
C. Lingle, G. B. Simler, C. T. Fryberger, the 
latter chosen to fill the vacancy created by 
W. H. Sandford's resignation. 

1894.— Burgess, A. L. Bolger. Council, J. 

A. Hatch, Grant Way, D. H. Parker, P. E. 
Womelsdorf, M. B. Hysong, John G. Piatt, 
James Black, George W. Hoover, Fred. Gow- 
land. 

1895.— Burgess, A. L. Bolger. Council. M. 

B. Hysong, J. A. Hatch, P. E. Womelsdorf, 
J. G. Piatt, Grant Way, W. H. Denlinger, J. 
W. Stein, G. W. Hoover, Frank Gowland. 

1896.— Burgess, A. L. Bolger. Council, W. 
H. Denlinger, J. W. Stein, John G. Piatt, J. 
Black, S. S. Crissman, George G. Parker, G. 
W. Lucas, Frank Gowland, G. W. Hoover. 

1897. — Burgess, Geo. B. Simler, Jr. Coun- 
cil, W. H. Denlinger, J. W. Stein, S. S. Criss- 
man, G. G. Parker, Frank Gowland, Henry 
Southard, W. M. Melick, Charles H. Guelich. 

1898.— Burgess, G. B. Simler, Jr. Council, 
J. W. Stein, S. S. Crissman, H. Southard, 
G. G. Parker, C. H. Guelich, W. M. Melick, 
H. K. Grant, J. C. Harding, Al. Jones. 

1899. — Burgess, Geo. B. Simler, Jr. Coun- 
cil, W. H. McCausland, W. M. Melick. Al- 
fred Jones, John Hirst, C. H. Guelich, H. K. 



Grant, Henry Southard, J. W. Stein, A. J. 
Graham. 

1900. — Burgess, Jesse Lukens. Council, A. 
J. Graham, H. K. Grant, John Hirst, W. H. 
McCausland, Alfred Jones, J. H. Eskridge, J. 
W. Stein, Henry Southard, George Richards. 

1901.— Burgess, Jesse Lukens. Council, 
James Passmore, H. Southard, John Hirst, 
T. J. Lee, W. H. McCausland, J. H. Eskridge, 
J. W. Stein, Geo. Richards, Robert H. Moore. 

1902. — Burgess, Jesse Lukens. Council, 
James Passmore, Henry Southard, T. J. Lee, J. 
H. Eskridge, George Richards, J. W. Stein, 
Charles E. McGirk, S. M. Miller, Robt. H. 
Moore. 

1903.— Burgess, Jacob Swires. Council, S. 
M. Miller, James Passmore, R. H. Moore, J. 
W. Stein, T. J. Lee, Charles E. McGirk. W. 
B. Brown, J. Albert Walton, Geo. Richards. 

1904. — Burgess, Jacob Swires. Council, S. 
M. Miller, Charles E. McGirk, Charles Coun- 
cell, W. B. Brown, L W. Stein, Albert Wal- 
ton, George Richards, A. B. Herd. 



"The "Town Hall," as it is styled on a 
white marble tablet imbedded in the front 
wall,_ was built in 1887. It cost all of $10,000. 
but it can scarcely be considered an ornate 
edifice, and the owners of adjacent dwellings 
would, for obvious reasons, be well pleased 
if it were somewhere else. Before getting 
placed on its present site, the unusual had 
happened to this building, for early in the 
year above mentioned the town council had 
taken the requisite steps to erect it upon a 
lot belonging to the borough on North Centre 
street, within 500 or 600 feet of where it now 
stands. Hoover, Hughes & Co., to whom the 
contract was awarded, had laid the founda- 
tion and put up the outer walls of the first 
story, when objections were made to the loca- 
tion and the dissatisfied kept up the agitation 
until Council reversed its action, the work al- 
ready done was torn down, and the material 
removed to the North Park, where the build- 
ing was finally completed. The large room 
on the first floor and the parlor on the sec- 
ond were used for a while by the two fire 
companies, but after the Reliance got quarters 
of its own on Second street, the Hope Com- 
pany had the sole occupancy of these apart- 
ments. The Town Council has an excellent 
room, neatly fitted up, on the second floor : 
an adjoining one is set apart for the Burgess 
and Police Department ; half of the basement 
is used as a lock-up, and the remainder serves 
as a storage place for implements belonging 
to the borough. The Second ward elections 
are held in the room on the first floor. While 
the persons who were mainly instrumental in 
effecting the removal probably thought they 
were doing what was right, it is now a mat- 
ter of general regret that they succeeded, for 
the "Hall," as located at present, obstructs 
the view of the widest and finest street of 
the town, and has diverted the northern por- 
tion of the Park from the purpose for which 
it was intended by its donor, Mr. Philips. 

The Reliance company erected its two- 
story building in 1889, at a cost of $2,200. 



24 



History of Philipsburg 



The steamer, hose and ladder trucks were 
housed on the first floor, and on the second 
there was a cozy parlor and reading room. 
For several years the elections of the First 
ward were conducted in the lower room, and 
the company occasionally permitted it to be 
used for other purposes, presumably bringing 
in a little revenue that could be applied to 
current expenses. The ground lease having 
expired, the owners of the lot gave notice 
to have it vacated by the end of the year 1899, 
but the time was extended, by arrangement, 
until the spring of 1900. Meanwhile the bor- 
ough authorities secured from the same par- 
ties another lot fronting on Presqueisle street, 
and a two-story brick with some desirable 
conveniences has been built on the new site. 

Both the companies are volunteer organi- 
zations and receive no pay for their services, 
but a laudable spirit of emulation prevails 
among the members and makes them enthusi- 
astic in responding to calls for fire. They 
have in a number of instances prevented de- 
structive conflagrations by the_ prompt and 
effective manner in which they handled their 
steamers and other apparatus ; and our citi- 
zens generally, as well as the members of the 
town council, are justly proud of them, and 
on more than one occasion have shown a sub- 
stantial appreciation of their usefulness. 

PART IV. 

Schools and School Directors. 

THE present generation, with the excep- 
tionally great advantages it enjoys, can 
scarcely form a correct idea of the diffi- 
culties the early inhabitants of the town 
experienced in getting instruction for 
their children. Free schools were then un- 
known, and as the parents had either to do 
the teaching themselves or pay so much for 
each scholar, it seems strange that a man of 
such culture and foresight as Mr. Hardman 
Philips had omitted to make any provision 
for supplying the intellectual wants of the 
rising generation. Mrs. McCloskey. erand- 
mother of Robert Lloyd, deceased, it is said, 
opened the first school in the "burg," but the 
date of its commencement has not been ascer- 
tained. _ In 1818 William Kelly taught in the 
old building which was subsequently used in 
the construction of the "Union" church. He 
and those who succeeded him probably con- 
fined their teaching to the primary branches — 
reading, writing and arithmetic. "Spelling 
matches" were, however, gotton up occasion- 
ally as an incentive to pupils, and some of the 
girls and boys could justly pride themselves 
on their proficiency in orthography acquired 
in these commendable and beneficial contests. 
At that time there existed in most rural local- 
ities of the State an amazingly strong pre- 
judice against teaching grammar in the 
schools. That was regarded as a needless fea- 
ture of education, and comparatively few per- 
sons residing in the sparsely settled sections 
of country were versed in it. Its open advo- 
cates met with little encouragement, and no 
man seekin- an official position or political 
preferment would venture to express himself 



in its favor. It is really surprising, therefore, 
that it should have been introduced, as it 
actually was, in this little backwood's village, 
as early as the summer of 1825, when "iVIr. 
Joseph Harvey Hull and his sister. Miss Caro- 
line Hull," as set forth in a circular, opened 
"a grammar schools by lectures," two of 
which were delivered in the forenoon and two 
in the afternoon on each day of its continu- 
ance. This was most assuredly a great ad- 
vance in the educational methods then in 
vogue, and those who availed themselves of 
the "lectures" were probably benefited in af- 
ter years by what they learned under such 
unusual conditions. Mr. Hull and his sister, 
it appears, succeeded very well, for their 
class was composed of fifteen persons, Mary 
Kensler, Jane McGirk and Mary Ann Plumbe, 
females — George Schultz, John Ayres, John 
Dale, James Collins, George Rawle, John 
Flegal, John Kinnear, John Meek, William 
Hull, John Plumbe, Richard Plumbe and Hen- 
ry Devine, males. There is no way of de- 
termining how many children had been taught 
regularly by Mr. Kelly or any of his imme- 
diate successors, but taking the population as 
represented by tradition and other matters 
bearing on the subject into consideration, it 
is safe to assume that twenty or twenty-five 
would be an over, rather than an underesti- 
mate. This number will no doubt appear 
small when compared with the six to seven 
hundred scholars now in daily attendance dur- 
ing the nine months' term of our school, with 
its eighteen instructors — a supervising princi- 
pal, an assistant principal, and teachers for 
the different grades and sub-grades. 

If the citizens of Philipsburg in former 
times felt the want of educational facilities, 
they are not experiencing anything of that 
kind at present. Their schools and school 
edifice are second to few outside of the large 
cities, and present a strong contrast to what 
they were in 1818, when one teacher instructed 
the few children of the village in the little 
rustic building then used for that purpose. It 
must not, however, be supposed that the transi- 
tion from the old to the new order of things 
was rapid. In fact, scarcely any perceptible 
headway had been made until the fall of 1866, 
when a large lot, or rather a square of ground, 
was purchased for $1,000, and a two-story 
frame building put up on it. to which two 
smaller ones were subsequently added. The 
Board of Directors at that time consisted of 
Owen Hancock, Oscar Adams, L. G. Kessler, 
Chas. R. Foster, George H. Steiner and William 
H. Jones. The first principal was our esteemed 
fellow-citizen, Chas. B. Sandford, who held 
the position from 1870 to 1873, and was as- 
sisted by one male and four female teachers. 

If any minutes of the School Boards' meet- 
ings had been kept up to that time, or any 
were made during several of the following 
years, they have either been mislaid or un- 
intentionally destroyed, for none whatever, as 
far as can be ascertained, have been in the 
custody of the persons chosen as Secretaries 
since 1886. Robert Lloyd, J. A. Wolfe, Wil- 
liam E. Irwin, Alfred Jones, Wm. E. Landon 
and E. A. Ryman composed the Board_ when 
the initial step, on a motion of Mr. Irwin was 



25 



History of Philipsburg 



taken on the 20th of January, 1887, for the 
erection of a new and more commodious 
building, which would supply the increasing 
needs of the community. The movement was 
quite popular and hence, at the election held 
in the ensuing March, the proposition was ap- 
proved by a vote of 226 to 87, whereupon the 
Board awarded to the Cottage Planing Mill 
Company of Huntingdon, Pa., a contract for 
putting up the new edifice. The cost of the 
building, completed and furnished, was to be 
$29',000. The work of construction 'was 
promptly commenced and pushed so vigor- 
ously that the large and imposing structure 
was finished in time to be dedicated on the 
13th of September. 

Since the introduction of the graded sys- 
tem our schools have gained quite an enviable 
reputation with educators abroad as well as 
at home. The course of instruction is excel- 
lent, and if pupils avail themselves of its ad- 
vantages they can fit themselves for_ entrance 
into college. The pay of teachers is liberal, 
and this fact, with that of having a nine- 
months' term, ought to secure the services 
of some of the best instructors in the coun- 
try. The Boards of Directors have all been 
indefatigable in their efforts to keep the 
schools up to a hi.gh standard, and the rising 
generation should be grateful for what is be- 
ing done for them in this respect. 

The following is a list of Directors from 
1889 to 1903, the writer regretting that for 
the reason already stated, he could not ob- 
tain the names of those who had previously 
served, except such as have been mentioned 
in this sketch: 

1889.— Wm. E. Landon, John A. Wolfe, J. 
W. Dunwiddie, E. A. Ryman, Hobart Alport, 
W. E. Irwin." 

1890.— Robert Llyod, Wm. E. Davidson, 
Hobart Alport, J. A. Wolfe, W. E. Irwin, 
J. H. Turnbach. 

1891.— Robert Lloyd, Hobart Alport, J. H. 
Turnbach, J. A. Wolfe, S. B. Row, W. E. 
Irwin. 

1892.— Robert Lloyd, J. H. Turnbach, J. 
A. Wolfe, S. B. Row, M. A. Elder. W. E. 
Irwin. 

1893.— Robert Lloyd. Wm. E. Irwin. J. H. 
Turnbach, J. A. Wolfe, S. B. Row, M. A. 
Elder. 

1894.— A. T. James, Wm. E. Irwin, John 
Strahan, Hiram O. Hoffer, J. C. Bradin, M. 

A. Elder. 

1895.— A. T. James, Wm. E. Irwin, John 
Strahan, J. C. Bradin, H. O. Hoffer, J. H. 
Turnbach. 

1896.— J. H. Turnbach, Wm. E. Irwin, H. 
O. Hoffer, J. C. Bradin, J. E. Hawkins, Geo. 

B. Simler, Jr. 

1897.— J. C. Bradin, Wm. E. Irwin, J. H. 
Turnbach, H. O. Hoffer, John E. Hawkins, 
Charles E. Murray. 

1898.— Frank Weber, Wm. E. Irwin, Jos. 
Kjiapper, H. O. Hoffer, John E. Hawkins, J. 
Clarence Bradin. Mr. Bradin having died 
soon after the commencement of this term, 
J. H. Turnbach was chosen to fill the va- 
cancy. On the death of Mr. Hoffer, a few 



months later, C. T. Fryberger was elected to 
fill his place. 

1899.— C. T. Fryberger, Wm. E. Irwin, 
Frank Weber, Joseph Knapper, John Gowland, 
C. Westley Atherton. 

During the years given in this list, Wil- 
liam E. Irwin was Secretary of the several 
Boards, and it is only candor to say that he 
discharged his duties in a creditable and satis- 
factory manner. He was again re-elected, but 
as his health had become impaired, he felt 
constrained to resign the Secretaryship. At a 
meeting of the Board, held August 14th, 1899, 
Mr. C. T. Fryberger was elected to that posi- 
tion, and Mr. C. W. Atherton was chosen 
President. 

1900.— C. W. Atherton, C. T. Fryberger, 
Frank Weber, Joseph Knapper, John Gowland, 
John Gowland. 

1901.— C. T. Fryberger, C. W. Atherton, 
Frank Weber, Joseph Knapper, Wm. E. Irwin, 
W. W. Andrews. 

1902. — C. T. Fryberger, Frank Weber, John 
Gowland, W. W. Andrews, E. F. Townsend, 
C. E. Murray. 

1903.— W. W. Andrews, Eli F. Townsend, 
C. E. Murray, John Gowland C. T. Fryberger, 
Frank Weber. 

1904.— Eli F. Townsend, C. E. Murray, 
John Gowland, C. T. Fryberger, W. W. An- 
drews, Frank Weber. 

PART V. 
Saw Mills, Logging, Etc. 

AT the time the Philipses made their 
initial break in the forests of this lo- 
cality, "the face of the earth" was al- 
most literally covered with nine, hem- 
lock, oak and other trees. These en- 
terprising men no doubt fully appreciated the 
value and importance of this timber, but when 
they raised their first saw mill they probably 
gave little or no thought to the number of 
similar structures which might in after years 
be erected along the valley of the Moshannon. 
Inquiries have failed to determine definitely 
when and by whom the next saw mill after 
that of the Philips' firm was put up in this im- 
mediate vicinity. In 1828 or 1829, Daniel 
Hoffman and Samuel Walker built one on a 
site near where the large tannery in Osceola 
now stands. It was afterwards owned by 
Thomas Mayes. In 1832 or 1833, Abraham 
Goss put up another on the Moshannon near 
Dunbar. William McCullough, Sr., who sub- 
sequently removed to Clearfield, acquired an 
interest in it in 1841 or 1842. Christian Har- 
nish, in possibly 1836, erected the saw mill 
which was afterwards purchased by Jacob 
and George Steiner. It was located at the 
dam above the Wigton fire-brick works, on 
the Chester Hill side of the creek. Dr. Henry 
Loraine and Thomas Lever had as early as 
1829, built one about two and a half miles 
this side of Munson. It was later on sold 
to Bowman & Perks, and called the upper 
mill to distinguish it from another put up 
by Edward Perks, Sr., opposite Munson sta- 



26 



History of Philipsburg 



tion. The latter was the same mill which 
subsequently belonged to Hon. Chester Mun- 
son and Maj. J. A. Crawford. Thomas Sny- 
der had one near Winburne that was at one 
time operated by Judge Munson also, and D. 
M. Bilger had another at the mouth of the 
Black Bear run, erected in 1852, which was 
the first mill in Centre county supplied with 
a muley saw. The "Pioneer" mill of Groe & 
McKean was located at the head of a great 
windfall that will be referred to again. This 
mill was afterwards owned by Swartz & 
Bauer. There was also a saw mill on the 
Bates' property, near the mouth of the Mo- 
shannon, which a few years after being started 
in 1848, was run by a couple of the younger 
members of the Bates' family from Lancaster 
county, sons of John Herman Bates, who died 
at Pine Glen, Snow Shoe township, on the 
8th of Nov., 1901, in the 75th year of his 
age. These are all the early water power mills, 
so far as can be learned, that had been put 
up on the Moshannon. In later times, the 
Moshannon Land and Lumber company op- 
erated its immense establishment at Osceola 
with steam, and so did Maj. D. W. Holt the 
one he had at Loch Lomond, each of which 
turned out annually millions of feet of lum- 
ber that were shipped on the railroads to 
other parts of the country. 

Several saw inills had at various times been 
put up on Coldstream and some of its tribu- 
taries, and the same difficulty was experi- 
enced in fixing the date of their location as 
with all others. Towards the end of the For- 
ties, probably in the year 1848, Stephens, 
Rider & Hamilton erected the "sash" mill, so 
called because it was supplied with an up-and- 
down or gate saw. Six or seven years later 
they built another at what is known as the 
"muley" dam, a name that is derived from 
a long, stiflf saw which moves much more rap- 
idly than the ordinary gate saw. About 1861, ex- 
Sheriff Wm. B. Ziegler, of Huntingdon, put 
up the mill beyond Twiggs' on Clover run, 
but it was afterwards owned and operated 
by the Reed Brothers, of which firm Capt. 
Joseph Reed was the head and managing part- 
ner. In 1863, Messrs. L. G. Kessler and Wm. 
M. Lloyd started one at the "big spring," on 
the pike, a couple miles south of Philipsburg. 
They also erected a mill on Coldstream, which 
they sold to Bean & Zimmerman, but it was 
better known as Bean's mill. In 1865 or 1866, 
the Reeds built the large mill at "Squankum" 
dam, and there was an old one near Vaughn's, 
owned by Hays Hamilton, that was subse- 
quently operated by the Reed firm also. The 
steam saw mill in "Cabbage Hollow" belonged 
to Mr. McCauley, and there was a box-board 
mill in the same vicinity, run by one of the 
Reeds. Daniel Ayres had a saw mill at- 
tached to his grist mill, built in 1852. on 
Beaver run, a few miles northwest of town, 
and Henry Post had a waterpower mill along 
the same stream, on the John Goss property. 
In 1872 or 1873, Moses Owens put up a saw 
mill on Beaver run, about a mile north of 
this place, and more recently Wiser & Bender 
had one. propelled by steam, near Graham sta- 
tion. The last saw mill in this neighborhood 
was erected in the autumn of 1900, by the 
Bloomington Coal Company, about two miles 



from Philipsburg, at the "Nuttal blocks," in 
close proximity to which a considerable quan- 
tity of good timber was still standing. 

The product of the older mills was formed 
into rafts and transported in that way to the 
markets down the Susquehanna. Some tim- 
ber rafts were likewise constructed at differ- 
ent times, but as the Moshannon is not 
adapted to long floats, comparatively little was 
done in this line. Ullman & Stanley, who, in 
their time, had made several of the latter kind 
at the mouth of Horner run, were unfortunate 
with them and therefore dropped that mode 
of lumbering. It is not at all likelv that any 
person ever attempted to run long spars down 
this stream, but entries in the old day-book 
show that, as early as December 30th, 1799, 
the Philips' company "engaged James Mc- 
Cauley and Jacob Meyer to go from the 
mouth of Clearfield creek to the mouth of 
Muddy run to examine if there is any mast 
timber handy on the banks" which can be 
got into the creek. As the creek was "hard 
frozen" and could be traveled on, it was 
considered "an easy time" to examine the 
timber. From this "extraordinary under- 
taking," as the bookkeeper terms it, the two 
men returned a week later, and the "account 
given by McCauley (on January 7th, 1800), 
was that at the banks of the said creek there 
could be got about 100 mast sticks," adding, 
however, that "from the mouth of Clearfield 
creek perhaps half way up to the mouth of 
Muddy run, are rocks which at present in- 
terrupt the navigation of masts, but could be 
cleared out with small expense." As this mat- 
ter is not again mentioned, it may be taken 
for granted that the project was not carried 
into effect. Had "mast sticks" been put into 
Clearfield creek at that early day, the unusual 
incident would have been kept ".green in the 
memory" of the people as was the fact that 
the first raft floated on the waters of this 
region was one of house-logs which David 
Litz, in 1805, piloted out of the same stream 
and down the River to the mouth of Queen's 
run, where he sold it to Joseph Quay, who 
was operating a saw mill at that place. 

It will not be amiss to state here that an 
ordinary sized river raft M'as about two hun- 
dred feet long, 22 wide, and contained prob- 
ably 5,000 cubic feet of square timber. A raft 
of sawed lumber had generally ten platforms, 
and contained from fifty to sixty thousand 
feet, board measure. On the Moshannon, 
which is a narrow and crooked stream, the 
rafts were scarcely half the length specified 
above, but when they arrived at the mouth 
of the creek, or in the smooth water below 
"Buttermilk Falls," two of them were "lashed" 
or coupled together, and run to their destina- 
tion at Lock Haven, Williamsport, Middle- 
town, Marietta or intermediate points. Of 
the hardships and dangers incident to this 
part of the business it is not proposed to say 
anything more than that there were many 
thrilling experiences, narrow escapes, and oc- 
casionally fatal accidents, which the old rafts- 
men — mav their souls rest in peace — were al- 
ways fond of rehearsing to patient hearers. 



27 



History of Philipsburg 



A phenomenal storm that passed over this 
part of the country in 1847, not only did much 
damage directly, but in its secondary effect 
introduced a system of lumbering which sub- 
sequently produced a vast amount of dissatis- 
faction and trouble. The Portland Lumber 
Company of Maine had a tract of over 400 
acres of heavily timbered land on the Moshan- 
non at which is known as "The Shelvings," 
a mile and a half above where Peale is now 
located. All the trees on this tract were pros- 
trated by the resistless wind, and it was a 
question as to what could be done to prevent 
the loss of so much valuable timber. The 
owners, after the lapse of some time, con- 
cluded to have it cut into saw logs and floated 
to a place where it could be manufactured 
into boards and plank. Lock Haven was 
chosen for this purpose, and in furtherance of 
the project Wing & Getchell established a 
saw mill there. Early in 1851, J. B. Wing 
was placed in charge of the work on the land. 
He succeeded in getting about 2,000,000 feet 
of logs ready for floating, but a lack of water 
compelled him to postpone "the drive" until 
the spring of 1852. As the logs were not 
fastened together in any way, but were per- 
mitted to run loose in the stream, they sub- 
jected the raftsmen to a great deal of an- 
noyance and in some instances caused the 
rafts to be wrecked, or "stoved," as such an 
occurrence is usually called by the lumber- 
men. This engendered a feeling of dislike 
to log-floating among those not engaged in 
it, but any mutterings that may have been 
heard, did not deter Mr. Wing from continu- 
ing his work on the Portland tract until all 
the timber was utilized. While this was be- 
ing done, the Blanchards commenced another 
job farther up the stream, and in a short 
time log camps were not an uncommon thing 
in this part of the country. 

In the meantime the boom at Williamsport 
had been constructed, and instead of logging 
being confined to the waters of the Moshan- 
non, it was extended to the tributaries of the 
Susquehanna in the adjoining county of Clear- 
field. Inasmuch as rafting was carried on 
extensively along those streams and on the 
river itself, the feeling against log-floating 
soon became widespread and aggressively bit- 
ter. An "anti-boom meeting" was held in 
Clearfield borough on the 17th of March. 1856, 
of which Ellis Irwin, Esq., was President ; 
Hon. Richard Shaw, John F. Weaver, James 

B. Graham, Wm. L. Moore, Christooher Krat- 
zer and William Porter were Vice Presidents ; 
and L. J. Crans and A. M. Hills, Secretaries. 
On some of the appointed committees were 
Tames Forest, John Patchin, Sr., Gen. John 
■patton, Richard Hughes, B. D. Hall, Wm. C. 
Foley, William Irvin, Esq.. Conrad Baker, 
John Swan, Henry Swan, George B. Good- 
lander, F. P. Hurxthal. Arthur Bell. Hon. 
Richard Shaw, Tames Wriglev, Wm. Powell, 

C. D. Watson, Clark Wilson. J. R. Reed, Chas. 
S. Worrell. J. L. Cuttle, John P. Hovt, J. 
Wilhelm, Samuel Mitchell, D. W. Moore, 
Peter Lamm, Fr. Coudriet, A. H. Shaw, S. 
B. Row and others. The resolutions adopted 
declared that booms impeded navigation, 
caused detention and loss to the citizens of 
the county, and if increased must inevitably 



destroy the timber and board business, render 
the forests valueless, and deprive the people 
of their means of support. A second meet- 
ing was held in the same town on the 4th 
of July of that year, over which Hon. James 
T. Leonard presided, and which was ad- 
dressed by Hon. G. R. Barrett and Hon. W. 

A. Wallace. It was attended by leading and 
influential men from all parts of the county, 
as well as by some from Elk and Centre coun- 
ties. On the committee of resolutions were 
William Stewart, Daniel Rhoads and Dr. 
James Irwin of Centre, William Powell, A. 

B. Shaw and J. Wilhelm of Clearfield, and 
Robert Rothrock of Elk county. The temper 
of this assemblage can be judged from the 
resolutions, which asserted that all peaceable 
and lawful means would first be used by the 
raftsmen to obtain their rights in the navi- 
gation of the highways, in the hope of se- 
curing legislative action to that end, but this 
was followed by the avowal that "peaceably or 
forcibly the nuisanqp (of log-floating) must 
be abated." Another meeting was held on 
the 27th of August, 1856, at which a commit- 
tee of nine persons was appointed to collect 
funds to defray necessary expenses, and at 
the same time John M. Chase, Wm. H. Robin- 
son, Robert Mahaffey and Henry G'roe, of 
Clearfield county; Wm. Stewart, James Askey 
and Daniel Rhoades, of Centre county, and 
R. C. Winslow, Robert Blake and Robert 
Rothrock, of Elk county, were constituted a 
committee to prosecute all persons who should 
put loose logs in navigable streams in suffi- 
cient numbers to create a nuisance. 

Logging having in the meantime been com- 
menced on Clearfield creek, under the auspices 
of Mr. Ensworth, persons who were engaged 
at rafting along that stream, taking a cue 
probably from some of the aforementioned 
resolutions, organized "vigilance companies" 
for the declared purpose of "abating the nui- 
sance by force of arms." A couple of these 
companies, armed with rifles, shotguns and 
axes, under the command of "Captains" Kline 
and Fiscus, made a descent upon the log- 
floaters on the first day of May, 1857. Twenty- 
five or thirty of these men were at work try- 
ing to "break a jam" of logs which had been 
formed at the "Salmon Hole." The Vigi- 
lantes, who largely outnumbered the others, 
appeared on the opposite bank and ordered 
the logmen to lay down their tools and leave. 
No attention being paid to this demand, the 
Vigilantes opened fire, when the driving crew, 
with three of their number wounded, took 
refuge in the woods so as to get out of 
range of bullets from the guns of their as- 
sailants. The latter then ascended the stream 
to the log camp, chopped up and burned two 
boats and a quantity of tools, tore down the 
cabin and dumped the wreckage, together with 
the cook stove, mess pork and iron imple- 
ments, into the surging waters. After this a 
parley took place, and the discomfited men, 
upon promising to quit "the drive" and go 
elsewhere, were graciously permitted to take 
with them their grip sacks and clothing. On 
the 4th of May information was made against 
forty-seven of the "Vigilantes," charging them 
with riot, and warrants were issued for their 
arrest. Accusations were also made against 



28 



History of Philipsburg 



a considerable number of the logmen. At the 
Court which convened in Clearfield borough 
on the 18th of the same month, "true bills" 
were returned against the accused raftsmen, 
as also against several of the log-floaters, who 
were indicted for creating a nuisance by ob- 
structing the stream at the Best, Wilson and 
Ringgold dams, at Spruce Island, Grass-Flat, 
Turner's Island and other places. The cases 
were tried at the August Term, 1857, and of 
the floaters, Abraham Byers was fined $15, 
George W. Miller $5, James F. Parsons $1, 
J. Harris Green $15 and George Chandler $5, 
with costs of prosecution in each instance. 
Of the raftsmen found guilty of riot, John 
M. Chase and Joseph Fiscus were each fined 
$25; Austin Kline, Andrew Rowles, Alfred 
Shaw, James Henderson, Robert Henderson, 
Samuel Stott, Samuel Henderson and Jacob 
Bush each $10 together with costs of prose- 
cution. The result of these trials put a check 
upon all violent proceedings, the murmurs of 
discontent gradually ceased, and eventually 
some of the most radical opponents of logging 
embarked in the business also. While it can- 
not be truthfuly gainsaid that this mode of 
lumbering rapidly depleted the timber, it must 
at the same time be admitted that it fur- 
nished employment to hundreds of men, and 
put in circulation many thousands of dollars 
which directly or indirectly benefited the whole 
community. 

The saw mills of O. L. Schoonover and 
B. F. Merritt & Co., are the only ones now 
in operation along the banks of the Moshan- 
non, and in recent years neither board rafts 
nor "log drives" have ruffled the waters of 
the "dark stream," which its name is said to 
signify in the vernacular of the aborigines 
who once inhabited this part of the country. 
The change that has taken place in lumber- 
ing has been very great, or it may be more 
properly said that the business has ceased 
almost entirely in this locality, and the time 
is coming when the experiences of raftsmen 
and log-floaters, like the deeds of Indian 
braves, will be remembered only in song or 
story. The poet had possibly a scene like 
this in mind when he expressed the idea that 

"Change is written on the tide. 

On the forest's leafy pride ; 

On the streamlet glancing bright ; 

On the jewel'd crown of night — 
All where'er the eye can rest. 
Show it legibly imprest !" 



PART VI. 
The Coal Industry. 

THE date when the coal industry ivas 
started in this region is not involved in 
any doubt. A tract of mountain land, 
on the northern slope of the Alle.gheny, 
only a few miles from the summit, was pur- 
chased by the late John Nuttall in the year 
1857. The Tyrone & Clearfield Railroad, 
when constructed, ran through it. A portion 
of this land was leased to Robert Lemon, of 
Hollidaysburg, who opened a mine, and in 
the summer of 1861 made the first shipment 



of coal that passed over the new road. Mr. 
Lemon did not continue in the business any 
great length of time, for inside of a twelve- 
month, his lease, presumably by mutual con- 
sent, was annulled. Meanwhile, in 1862, Rob- 
ert Hare Powell had made an arrangement 
with Mr. Nuttall, and the Powelton mine, as 
it was then named, was thereafter operated 
under his auspices on a scale which in those 
days was considered quite extensive. 

The next colliery, in order of time, was 
the Wallace mine at Osceola Mills, opened in 
1863, by John Miller, of Altoona, Pa., on 
property belonging to the Moshannon Land 
and Lumber Company. It was afterwards 
purchased and operated by the Clearfield Coal 
Company, of which W. W. Wallace was Presi- 
dent, and Campbell Tucker, Secretary. Our 
late townsman A. V. Hoyt, who was then not 
over 20 years of age, acted in the dual ca- 
pacity of book and store keeper for the new 
firm. In 1865, W. P. Orbison, of Huntingdon 
county, started the Enterprise on land of John 
Grain. The Phoenix, on the Fred. Dale prop- 
erty, was projected by Mr. Orbison also, af- 
terwards operated by S. S. Blair's Sons, and 
later by Orvis, Hastings & Co. The Reading 
was located by James P. Hale on land be- 
longing to himself, but is at present owned 
by Mrs. Steinman. The Drane was started 
by T. C. Heims in 1884, and subsequently 
operated by the Berwind-White Co. The Cen- 
tral was commenced in 1885 by J. B. Ellis 
on his own farm, and the Electric by T. C. 
Heims on propert- of the Philipsburg Coal 
and Land Company. Houtz & Good have the 
Gem mine which was opened in 1889. 



Immediately after the railroad had been 
extended to Philipsburg, the work of coal 
development was begun in this neighborhood. 
William B. Ziegler, Esq., of Huntingdon, pur- 
chased from Elias Walk and J. McMullen, two 
pieces of land adjoining the Test and George 
Schultz properties, and in the fall of 1864 
opened a mine, the coal from which was con- 
veyed across the "beaver meadows," on an 
elevated tramway, to the railway track at the 
lower end of the town. Mr. Zie.gler sold to 
a party who organized the Derby Coal Com- 
pany, with Mr. C. G. Patterson as President, 
and John S. Hubbard as superintendent. The 
Derby firm disposed of their interest to A. 
M. Soteldo, and the last named sold to Mr. 
Y. Casanova. After this several other changes 
were made, John Barnes, John Ashcroft and 
George E Parker being among those who 
operated the mine at different times. Charles 
Long & Son were running it from 1899 to 
1903. inclusive. 

The old Union colliery, on the John Gear- 
hart land, was commenced in 1865. It changed 
hands frequently, or as one informant put it, 
"nearly everybody owned it," and for that rea- 
son it is difficult to give the names of the vari- 
ous operators in regular chronological order. 
Whoever may have secured the original lease, 
it is almost certain that Daniel Williams, 
either as lessee or manager, opened the mine 
in the year specified above. A Mr. Buckwal- 
ter had it next, and about 1867 Hoop, Irwin 
& Mock got control of it. After them, John 



29 



History of Philipsburg 



Whitehead & Co. operated it, and that firm 
sold to Elijah Chilcote. The latter disposed 
of his interest to Casanova, Perks & Co., who 
made a new opening on the opposite side of 
the hill, and called it the Cuba mine. In 
June, 1873, Thomas Barnes, John Ashcroft, 
John Barnes, Thomas Pilkington and Moses 
Haworth entered into a contract for mining 
and loading the coal. Later on Miller, Betts 
& Kerr secured a lease and carried on the 
operation for a few years. H. K. Grant hav- 
ing meanwhile acquired the shares of several 
of the Gearhart heirs, started the Baltic, which 
was subsequently worked by Thomas Barnes, 
then by Harry Washburn, again bv Mr. 
Barnes, and more recently by Irish Brothers. 

More than a third of a century ago, sev- 
eral eastern capitalists purchased ■ a body of 
land, containing 4,000 acres, between the Wil- 
liamson and Black Bear runs, and organized 
the New York Coal Company, with Mr. High- 
land as President, and a Mr. Tolsom as su- 
erintendent. In the year 1866 they commenced 
opening mines, no great distance east of Phil- 
lipsburg, and iDuilt a branch railway that con- 
nected with the Tyrone & Clearfield road at 
the switch in the rear of the Hoover, Hughes 
& Co. planing mill, in the northern part of 
our town. That part of the track which ex- 
tended from the switch to Loch Lomond was 
subsequently embraced in and formed part 
of the Morrisdale Branch. The company had 
four coal openings, and made preparations for 
carrying on a large business. The persons 
who had charge of the practical managament 
of the operation, being deficient in mining 
knowledge, conducted the collieries in an ex- 
pensive manner, and sent the coal to market 
in such an objectionable condition that its sale 
could scarcely be effected at all, although 
the quality of the coal would not of itself have 
condemned it in the opinion of competent 
judges. Whatever may have been done after- 
wards to correct faults and reduce unnecessary 
expenses, the prejudice that had been created 
at the start by the carelessness alluded to, 
could not be fully dispelled, and the business 
was as a consequence continued in a languish- 
ing sort of a way for a number of years, 
when it was permanently suspended, the rails 
from the mines to Loch Lomond taken up, 
and the organization formally dissolved or 
tacitly abandoned. The lands are now owned 
by Casper E. Collier, of New York, and James 
Clarke, of New Jersey — the latter holding 3,600 
acres, and the first named 436 acres. Hon. 
P. E. Womelsdorf, of Philipsburg, is agent 
for Messrs. Clarke and Collier, and gives such 
attention to the property as existinar condi- 
tions require. Scott Fravel, Samuel Robins 
and Al. Vaughn had, in the year 1900, so- 
called "country banks" on these lands, and 
supplied local consumers with stove coal that 
gave general satisfaction. James Dumbleton 
has a bank of his own on an adjoining tract, 
and has one on the Munson land near the 
Coldstream dam. 

In 1866 Mr. John Nuttall started the "old 
Decatur mine" on Coal run, but the formation 
proved so faulty that, after a couple of vears' 
time, he felt constrained to stop the opera- 
tion altogether. In 1868 he removed the store 



and other buildings to the north end of Phil- 
ipsburg, and about that time opened Decatur 
No. 1 on the Morrisdale road. Considerable 
sums of money were in later years expended 
by different persons on the Coal run property, 
but it appears that nothing else than disap- 
pointment was experienced by those who at- 
tempted to surmount the obstacle which the 
displacement in the seam presented. Decatur 
No. 2 was begun by Mr. Nuttall in the early 
Seventies; in 1871 he opened Laurel Run No. 
1, on the land of Richard Hughes, and at 
a more recent date No. 2, on the John Shaw 
land. In October, 1899, the Nuttall heirs sold 
Decatur No. 2, with the land on which it is 
located, to Peacock, Kerr & Peale, who then 
composed the Bloomington Coal Company and 
operated on a large scale. 

The Morrisdale Coal Company was organ- 
ized in 1869 by D. W. Holt, representing the 
Allport estate, R. B. Wigton and William 
Dorris. J. Edgar Thompson was in some 
way interested in the project, and it was 
through his influence that rails for the exten- 
sion of the Morrisdale Branch were obtained. 
The first shipment of coal from this mine was 
made on January 1st, 1870. R. B. Wigton & 
Co., later on, secured the lease and conducted 
the business for several years. It is now in 
the hands of Mr. Frank Wigton and others, 
who have also gotten control of the under 
seams on the Pardee and Ashman tracts. 

Glenwood colliery, on the John Shaw and 
Henry Schultz farms, was started by the 
Campbell Brothers in the year 1874, but no 
shipment of coal was made from it until the 
spring of 1875. 

Acme, now owned by Chas. J. Wittenberg 
and others, and together with Acme Slope, 
is called Victoria colliery, was commenced in 
1878 or 1879 by Jones, Mull & Co., who built 
a railway from the mine to its junction with 
the Morrisdale branch, at which point John 
Ashcroft and R. H. Powel opened the Hawk 
Run mine in 1881. 

Duncan, Lingle & Co. made their first ship- 
ment of coal from Pardee in the spring of 
1882. After the completion of the Beech 
Creek Railroad to Philipsurg, Gen. George I. 
McGhee purchased Pardee and operated it. 
The Acme track had meanwhile been bought 
by the Beech Creek Company and became 
part of that road. 

Campbell, Tucker & Co., of which firm 
Thomas and John Barnes were members, 
started Lancashire No. 1 on John Gearhart's 
farm in 1880, and in 1882 they opened No. 2 
mine on the John Hughes' property. After 
the death of Mr. Campbell Tucker in April, 
1897, his brother, Alfred Tucker, took his 
place and kept up his connection with the ex- 
tensive operations of the firm until the spring 
of 1899, when Alfred also died. In 1902, No. 
3 was sold to Righter & Marshall. 

Coady Ridge colliery, on the land of An- 
drew Gearhart, was commenced in 1880, by 
George Robertson, of Shamokin, who sold it 
to H. K. Grant in the ensuing December. 

Alexander Wichey and Alfred Barlow 
opened Colorado No. 1 on the Russell Showal- 



30 



History of Philipsburg 



ter property in the year 1880. Wichey dis- 
posed of his interest to WiOiam Barlow, and 
the Barlow Brothers sold to Hoyt & Jack- 
man. Mr. Hoyt subsequently disposed of his 
interest to Mr. E. H. Ellsworth, and the busi- 
ness was for a while carried on by Ellsworth 
& Dunham, who also bought out Mr. Jack- 
man. Irish Bros, have it now. 

David W. Holt, James Passmore, John 
M. Holt and O. L. Schoonover projected the 
Allport mine in 1882. In 1883 A. J. Graham 
obtained the interest of Mr. Passmore, and 
afterwards R. H. Shipman and D. W. Holt 
constituted the firm and conducted the busi- 
ness. The last named gentleman also started 
Loch Lomond in 1885. 

In December, 1899, the Irish Brothers firm 
purchased the lease of David Atherton in 
Colorado No. 3 and a controlling interest in 
the Casanova lands; on May 1st, 1902, they 
acquired the leases of John G. Piatt in Guion, 
Colorado No. 2 and a couple other collieries, 
and in October, 1902, that of Adams & Co. 
in the Jefferson mine. 

In addition to the mines already men- 
tioned, there are others in close proximity to 
Philipsburg. The Lane colliery is operated 
by the Todd Brothers ; the Gearhart by Thos. 
J. Lee; the Washington by Henry Liveright 
in connection with Eureka No. 14; the Kain- 
tuck and Victor No. 3 by G. Stott & Co., 
and the Dewey-Derby by McCausland & 
Homer. J. Swires has the Ophir, the Ash- 
man and the O'Brien; Ellsworth & Dunham 
the Royal, and James Stott has the Highland 
and a new slope at Loch ■ Lomond ; Geo. H. 
Huddell & Co. run the Meadow Brook, and 
Frank Weber has a "country bank" on the 
Henry Philips' farm. The Steiner heirs have 
a slope on their lands adjoining town, which 
has recently been leased to the Anchor Coal 
Co., composed of John G. Piatt and mem- 
bers of the Morrisdale Coal Co., who will 
develop the "B" vein which is 4 feet thick at 
this point. Thomas Philips opened a mine 
in 1902, at Hudson, on land of H. K. Grant. 
H. M. Hughes operates the Leader collieries 
on the Richard Hughes' property, now merged 
in the Hughes Coal Mining Company; D. W. 
Hughes a new mine on the John Hughes' 
farm; a Mr. Geisel, who acquired the lease 
of Pat. Gallaher, the old Mapleton ; and Town- 
send & David the Beaver mine near Boyton. 
The Coaldale Company operate No. 4 them- 



selves; John McGonigal runs the Troy on 
contract; John Walton, in 1902, reopened 
Victor No. 4 and started a new mine, the 
London, on Mapleton branch, and Geo. Mock 
& Co., have the Mock mine. 

Messrs. Atherton & Barnes, Stratton 
Brothers and James Stott, in April, 1903, se- 
cured leases for the development of a thou- 
sand acres of land belonging to the Philips- 
burg Coal & Land Company, Casper E. Col- 
lier and James P. Clark, a short distance 
east of town, and when ready expect to 
operate on a large scale. T. G. McCausland, 
John Homer and Henry Cole, about the same 
time, leased a piece of the Casanova lands 
and will open a mine on the line of the Rail- 
way when built for the former parties on the 
roadbed of the old N. Y. Company. 

During the month of April, 1903, a mine 
was put in operation on land belonging to the 
D. H. Parker estate, back of Morrisdale, on 
the line of the N. Y. Central Railroad, by 
the Parker Coal Company, composed of S. B. 
Parker, Samuel Pfoutz and the Ellsworth & 
Dunham firm. The last named parties have 
also leased 100 acres adjoining the above 
property. 

In August, 1903, Thomas I. Lee and Rich- 
ard Lobb opened a mine close by the "old 
Williamson bank," about a mile east of Phil- 
ipsburg. 

As the collieries in and around Houtzdale, 
and those at Munson, Winburne, Grass-Flat 
and Peale do not properly come within the 
Philipsburg sphere, they will not be referred 
to in detail. The product of the Houtzdale 
district gets onto the Tyrone & Clearfield 
Railroad at Osceola Junction, and that of the 
other places named is all sent over the Beech 
Creek road. 

The quantity of coal that has been mined 
and shipped from this region is simply im- 
mense. If correct data could be obtained, the 
array of figures would be confusing, and in- 
stead of being considered accurate, it is more 
likely they would be regarded as the fanciful 
creations of an excited imagination. Suffice 
it, therefore, to say, that the aggregate foots 
up many millions of tons, and if it were pos- 
sible for Mr. Hardman Philips to be rein- 
carnated and brought back to the town bear- 
ing his family name, he would find the reality 
in this particular had greatly exceeded any- 
thing his hopeful mind ever conceived. 




31 



Philipsburg From 1904 to 1909 



By C. U. Hoffer. 




I HE realization of the fact that 
the Electric Railway, so long 
and so anxiously awaited, was 
in actual operation, had a most 
exhilarating and encouraging 
effect upon the people of Phil- 
ipsburg, and its construction 
marks an epoch in the his- 
tory of the town. 

Many houses were built and plans devised 
for the construction of others, and the restor- 
ation of many that needed overhauling. 
Changes in partnerships of business concerns, 
absorptions and consolidations of Corporate 
interests, were the order of the day. 

At the Annual Meeting, January 12, 1904, 
the Moshannon National Bank increased its 
Capital Stock from $50,000.00 to $100,000.00. 

On July 13th of the same year the Citi- 
zens' Water Company, or the New Water 
Company, as it was called, purchased the old 
Philipsburg Water Company by the exchange 
of $60,000.00 worth of 5% bonds of the Citi- 
zens' Water Company for the Capital Stock, 
valued at $60,000.00, par of the Philipsburg 
Water Company, and improvements of much 
importance were at once begun upon the new- 
ly acquired and consolidated plant. 

On July 16th, 1904, the Philipsburg Elec- 
tric Light, Heat & Power Company, owned 
by J. Edward Horn, E. H. Ellsworth, and 
W. S. Montgomery, conveyed their plant 
which stood at the corner of Pine and Rail- 
road streets, to the Centre & Clearfield Rail- 
way Company, and the same was dismantled 
and converted into a warehouse, the machinery 
of the old concern put up for sale, and only 
such things as could be used by the Trolley 
Company were taken to the fine power house, 
whence thereafter light was to be furnished 
by an all-day service in greater abundance to 
a larger and increasing list of consumers. 

On July 19, 1904, the Moshannon Manu- 
facturing Company disposed of their stock 
and good will to John Botwright. In Sep- 
tember of the same year, the Gowland Manu- 
facturing Company put to its already large 
""Plant, a concrete two-story addition 36x96, to 
be used for a blacksmith shop. 

About this time, Harry Washburn and 
Wilbur Hoover, with a goodly number of men, 
began the manufacture of the million or more 
of white pine and oak, cut by them from the 
flats or swamps below the town, and pur- 
chased from the Philipsburg Land & Coal 
Company. 

The utilization of this timber destroyed the 
only remaining relic of the mighty forests 
which stood here years ago. 

On October 12, 1904, George W. Zeigler, 
Esq., bought from William W. Forcey, the 



property on the corner of Front and Maple 
streets and at great expense overhauled it and 
made it one of the most desirable and com- 
fortable homes in the town. 

Harry Todd erected a costly residence 
upon a lot purchased from J. O. Reed. 

On October 12, 1904, the Hoffer-Tyson 
building was completed at a cost of $16,000.00, 
and the large store rooms on the ground 
floor were at once occupied by B. F. Hoffer, 
and Harry Emery, respectively, the upper 
floor rented to the Knights of the Golden 
Eagle, and the second story let to private 
families and for offices. 

On November 3, 1904, the extension of the 
Centre & Clearfield Street Railway was made 
to Winburne, making that place the terminus 
of the road — an event of much importance to 
the merchants of Philipsburg, and people liv- 
ing along the line. 

On the 15th of the same month, the Mo- 
shannon Manufacturing Company was de- 
stroyed by fire, and thus was wiped out an 
industry, and a great loss was entailed upon 
the owners, and the community at large. 

On December 5th Charles H. Rowland 
purchased the New Steam Company, and be- 
gan at once to improve same by the erection 
of a large addition to his plant, entailing con- 
siderable outlay. 

The closing of the year 1904 showed an 
enormous expansion and increase of business, 
the verification of which can be had from 
the large tonnage and amount of freight 
which all the railroads leading into town 
hauled during that time, from the increased 
deposits in the banking institutions, and from 
the great growth of the receipts in the Post 
Office, which was almost sufficient to make 
it the most important Post Office in Centre 
County. 

In December, 1904, President Theodore 
Roosevelt sent to the Senate of the United 
States, the name of John Gowland for Post 
Master, and on the 7th of the same month, 
the Senate accordingly confirmed the same. 
A list of the Post Masters of the town, since 
its inception will be found below : 

John Lorain, 1818; Henry Lorain, 1824; 
James McGirk, 1831 ; John G. Runk, 1837-41 ; 
Alexander Wilson, 1841-45; James McGirk, 
(second term), 1845-50; John G. Runk, (sec- 
ond term), 1850-53; J. A. Ganoe, 1853-1858; 
Chester Munson, 1858-61 ; Wesley Runk, 1861- 
64; W. H. Wagner, 1864-68; R. D. McKin- 
ney, 1874-80; J. W. Mattern, 1880-84; John 
Gowland, 1884-88; A. B. Herd, 1888-92; H. 
C. Warfel, 1892-96; J. Albert Walton, 1896- 
98; A. L. Bolger, 1898-04; John Gowland, 
1904—. 



32 



History of Philipsburg 



The first annual report of the Centre & 
Clearfield Railroad for the year 1904, and 
dated January 9, 1905, makes the remarkable 
showing that 1,032,005 passengers were carried 
during that time. 

In February, 1905, a Farmers' Institute was 
held in the Parish House of St. Pauls' Epis- 
copal Church, which brought a number of 
strangers to our town, and was productive of 
much good. 

On February 22, of the same year, Group 
No. 6, Bankers' Association, comprising Blair, 
Cambria, Centre, Clearfield and Huntingdon 
Counties met and banqueted at the Potter 
House. This was an important gathering for 
Philipsburg, for the reason that the men who 
composed this body were people of more than 
ordinary intelligence, and able to appreciate 
the advantages and good points the town pos- 
sessed. 

On March 3rd, Jesse W. Lukens and John 
Beck purchased the Shovel Factory, known as 
the Fiestal property, and converted it into a 
planing mill, employing quite a number of 
skilled workmen. 

On March 15th, 1905, George R. Mock and 
Robert Moore, doing business under the firm 
name of the Philipsburg Beef Company, con- 
structed in addition to their already exten- 
sive establishment, at a cost of over $10,000.00, 
in order to better handle their increasing busi- 
ness. 

On April 1st, Philipsburg Brewing Com- 
pany completed the construction of their 
plant representing an outlay of $140,000.00. 
Mr. Joseph F. Wiest is President, General 
Manager and Treasurer; John B. Kuptz, Sec- 
retary; Joseph F. Wiest, Fritz Weber, John 
Kuptz, F. P. Graham and Thomas Flecken- 
stein are the Directors ; Ed. C. Beezer is As- 
sistant Manager. This is a union concern and 
good wages are paid. No employee receives 
less than $1.75 per day, the highest being $6.00 
per day. Eighteen men are emploved and about 
$16,000.00 are paid out annually to these people. 

On June 1st, the new Steam Company 
erected a large stack, and made other changes, 
involving considerable expense, and giving 
work to many people. 

Dr. John D. McGirk and Dr. Charles Mc- 
Girk, at a cost approximating $20,000.00, put 
up a splendidly equipped sanitarium. 

On July ISth, the new Garment Factory, 
with a capital of $50,000.00, and composed of 
the following stockholders : H. R. Parker, of 
PottstOAvn ; J. N. Schoonover, J. W. Stein and 
George Stott, began business in the building 
which had cost them $20,000.00 to erect, and 
by putting to work about 100 people. 

On August 15, 1905, the Odd Fellows made 
an extension to their ma.gnificent building of 
40 feet, for the accommodation of the Central 
Trading Company's large department stores, 
and executed a lease for ten years with that 
company for the rooms they now occupy. 

On August 5th, 1905, the District Firemen's 
convention met, and was attended by large 
crowds, and pronounced a signal success. 



On September 4th, the first reunion of the 
district convention of the Knights of the Gol- 
den Eagle was held, and many people were at- 
tracted to the town because of the parade, 
which was the feature of the day. The local 
lodge entertained its visitors royally, and they 
all went away impressed with the greatness 
of Philipsburg. 

Because Spruce street was paved, free from 
dust, and in excellent condition, and because 
of the Garment Factory's close proximity to 
it, real estate in that quarter of the town took 
a boom, and many nice and expensive houses 
were built and lots sold to prospective build- 
ers. Altogether, the year 1905 had been a 
good one, as the usual barometers, the banks, 
the post ofiice, and railroad, conclusively show. 

In March of 1906, C. W. Atherton and J. 
N. Schoonover equipped the basement of the 
Garment Factory with modern machinery, and 
started a laundry, which employed quite a 
number of people. This, however, was ab- 
sorbed some months later by the Philipsburg 
Laundry, which abandoned its place on Pres- 
queisle street, and is doing business in the 
new quarters at the Garment Factory. 

By far the most disastrous blow Philips- 
burg had received for years came at this junc- 
ture in its affairs, immense shipments of coal 
were being made, and a general feeling of con- 
fidence prevailed. There were mutterings of 
an ominous character sometimes heard., but 
they were cast aside as idle imaginings. But 
on April 1, 1906, the storm burst, and a gen- 
eral strike was ordered throughout the entire 
bituminous field, and a suspension of work 
and business was the result. Misery and want 
were the outcome of it all, for it was not un- 
til the 18th of July, 1906, or three and a half 
months after, that the strike was declared off. 

On July 19th, work at the Garment Fac- 
tory was resumed, under the management of 
H. W. Sallade, giving employment to 100 
people. 

On Sunday, September 30, 1906, St. Peter 
and Paul's Roman Catholic Church was con- 
secrated by Bishop A. E. Garvey. High mass 
was said by the rector of the church, Father F. 
L. Kumerant, assisted by Father Fisher, of 
Morrisdale, and Father Desmond, of Osceola, 
and the sermon was preached by Father J. C. 
Foin, of York. This edifice is a beautiful 
temple, a credit to Philipsburg, and an endur- 
ing monument to the pastor of the church, 
the Rev. Father Kumerant, by whose untiring 
efforts it was built. 

On October 13th, a fire occurred at Blue 
Ball, which completely destroyed the plant of 
W. H. Wynn & Co., manufacturers of fire 
brick. As this is an industry close to our 
doors, and owned by citizens of Philipsburg, 
the loss indirectly affected the town ; but with 
commendable haste on the part of the owners, 
work was at once begun on the restoration 
of the plant, by J. W. Stein, of Philipsburg, 
who had been given the contract to put up 
the brick buildings required. Employment 
was secured by a number of people in Phil- 
ipsburg. 



33 



History of Philipsburg 



Taking the year 1906 as a whole, it was 
an unfortunate one, and recovery a very slow 
process. 

On Dec. 30, 1906, a profound sorrow fell 
upon the people of Philipsburg through the 
death of the Rev. Francis J. Clerc, D. D., 
who was for more than a quarter of a cen- 
tury, the beloved rector of St. Paul's P. E. 
Church. By strength he had attained even 
beyond the Scriptures, four-score years, and 
his career had been so intimately a part of 
the community, that its severance caused a 
pang of intense regret. His life was a bene- 
diction, and his ministrations to rich and poor, 
high and low, had won for him a place in 
the heart of every man, woman and child in 
the town of Philipsburg. He was truly a Priest 
of God, and his works do follow him. 

In February, 1907. John D. Gills' Sons 
purchased the A. T. Shupe property, then oc- 
cupied by Mitchell Murray, as a marble works, 
and, at considerable cost enlarged the same 
and made many improvements in putting it 
in proper shape for the storing and sale of 
mining tools and supplies, which they make. 

On July 9, 1907, the large Insurance Agen- 
cy of Frank F. Irvin passed into the hands of 
C. T. Fryberger. 

On July 4th, a fire occurred in which the 
Presbyterian congregation lost their church 
property on Second street, and on the tenth 
of the same month it was decided to build a 
new church, modern in construction and to 
cost about $20,000.00. 

July 27th, the Philipsburg Beef Cnmn^-- 
met with a heavy loss and much inconveni- 
ence in the partial destruction of its nlant by 
fire. 

Somewhat of an anomaly in the affairs of 
Philipsburg seems to have existed during the 
summer of this year, for whilst the depres- 
sion in business was felt in other "laces, it 
had not perceptibly afifected the situation here, 
and coal was being mined from many aband- 
oned mines at a profit, in addition to the ship- 
ments by others and larger companies. 

On October 23rd, King & Phillips are 
awarded by the Town Council the contract for 
a section of West Presqueisle street, and finish 
same in a very short time, but employment 
had been given. 

On October 26th. J. K. Palmer & Comnanv 
turn over to the State two sections of State 
road, connecting Front and Ninth streets at 
Troy's bridge. This was a most fortunate 
event for PhiliDsburg, both because of the em- 
ployment of labor it entailed, and because of 
the great convenience visitors now experience 
in coming and going to and from the town. 

On January 6, 1908, a dispensary for con- 
snmotives was established, and put in charge 
of Dr. Charles E. McGirk. 

On March 24th, Wynn & Comoany. at 
Blue Ball, doubled the capacity of their plant 
in order to care for increasing trade. 

In April of the same year, Edwards & Co. 
secured and built a section of State road to 
One Mile Run from Coldstream bridge. A 



much needed improvement and appreciated by 
those whom it most affects. 

On May 21st, 1908, the Sandy Ridge Fire 
Brick Company is sold to Ross Wynn & 
James H. France, of Philipsburg. This is 
one of the first fire brick plants erected in 
our country. In 1865, John H. Miller built a 
plant for the manufacture of brick from a 
clay found by him to exist there, and from 
that time to this, additions and improvements 
have been made, which have enabled the com- 
panies which have since come into control to 
make a quality of brick which has gained an 
enviable reputation in the market. Messrs. 
France & Wynn have rehabilitated the plant, 
and put its capacity of output to 26,000 bricks 
per day. 

June 11, 1908, a new school building in 
North Philipsburg is handed over by the con- 
tractor, B. F. Morgan, costing $10,000.00. Ap- 
propriate exercises were held in honor of the 
event. 

Philipsburg has always participated in the 
prosperity of this plant. 

On June 22, 1908, corner stone of the 
Presbyterian Church is laid. In July of the 
same year, the large concrete bridge is con- 
structed over Moshannon creek at Maple 
street, and completed by C. M. Waple, who 
took over the contract originally awarded to 
R. A. Scott, of Hastings, Pa. 

On August 20th, 1908, the firemen held 
their convention. It proved the most suc- 
cessful meeting it had since the organization 
of the district. 

In September of this year, Mrs. Prudence 
Haines bought from J. N. Schoonover the 
properties owned by him on East Pine street, 
and H. J. Beck purchased from Mrs. Prudence 
Haines the old stable on Pine street, and 
erected upon the site a large building at a 
cost of $12,000.00, to be used for a theatre. 
The first effort toward the organization of 
Moshannon Chapter, Daughters of American 
Revolution, was made on May 11th. After 
five meetings the organization had been com- 
pleted, and on October 21st, 1908, the charter 
was granted. There are 27 charter members, 
these, together with thirteen National, State 
and other visiting officials, attended a luncheon 
furnished and served at noon bv the Trinity 
Guild of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at 
the residence of Dr. McGirk. The following 
officers and visitors were present: Mrs. Alex. 
E. Patton, of Curwensville, Vice President 
General of the National Association: Mrs. 
Allen Perley, of Williamsport, State Regent, 
and the following named representatives from 
Susquehanna Chapter, of Clearfield ; Mrs. D. 
L. Krebs, Regent ; Miss Virginia Bigler, Vice 
Regent; Mrs. Ella Goodfellow, Secretary; 
Mrs. Fred Kerr, Corresponding Secretary; 
Mrs. Alfred Liveright, Treasurer; Mrs. Frank 
Reese, Registrar; Mrs. Nannie Fulford, His- 
torian ; Mrs. A. E. Powell, and Miss Som- 
merville. Mrs. W. W. Rogers and Mrs. J. 
A. Vogle, Bellefonte, represented the officers 
of the Bellefonte Chapter. 

Miss Julia Hale made the speech of wel- 
come to Mrs. Patton, National Vice Presi- 



34 



History of Philipsburg 



dent ; Miss Higby to Mrs. Perley, State Recent, 
and Mrs. J. E. Fryberger to the other guests. 
Responses were made by Mrs. Alexander E. 
Patton, in behalf of the National Association ; 
Mrs. Alexander E. Powell for the Clearfield 
Chapter, and by Mrs. W. W. Rogers for 
Bellefonte Chapter. The tables were arranged 
in the form of a T and were beautifully deco- 
rated with white and blue bunting, little silk 
flags and sprays of holly berries, and on the 
walls of the library in which the luncheon 
was served were draped large American flags. 
The plate-cards, painted by Miss Dora Reese, 
were charmingly artistic. The several dainty 
courses were served in faultless manner by 
ladies under the supervision of Miss lona 
Steiner. In the seats of honor were the visit- 
ing officials and the officers of Moshannon 
Chapter, viz: Mrs. L. W. Nuttall. Regent; 
Mrs. J. E. Fryberger, Vice Regent; Mrs. Dr. 
C. F. McGirk, Recording Secretary: Mrs. P. 
E. Womelsdorf, Corresponding Secretary; 
Mrs. Harry Scott, Registrar ; Miss Mary Som- 
merville. Historian, and Miss Annie McGirk, 
Librarian, the Treasurer, Mrs. Laura H. Mull, 
being absent from the citj'. 

In December, 1908. Russ Bros, finished the 
installation of a refrigerating plant in the 
large Ice Cream Factory, costing $10,000.00. 

A careful estimate shows that during this 
year over $100,000.00 had been spent in pub- 
lic improvements, and new buildings, and the 
pressure of the hard times upon the people 
lifted in a considerable degree. 

On January 15th, 1909, the Harbison- 
Walker Co., at Wallaceton, after a long period 
of idleness, resumed operations, to the great 
joy of the inhabitants of that village, and 
the merchants of Philipsburg. 

On January 30th, the Presbyterian Church 
was dedicated, and a handsome edifice now 
adorns the corner of Presqueisle and Fifth 
streets, which represents an outlay of $30,- 
000.00, every cent of which is paid. 

On June 1st, J. Swires disposed of 400 
acres of coal land to Madiera Hill & Co., the 
consideration being $22,000.00. 

On June 28th, the African Methodist Epis- 
copal Church was dedicated by Bishop Der- 
rick, of New York. The cost of this building 
involved an outlay of $2,500.00, nearly all of 
which is provided for. 

On June 29th, an Old Home Week Asso- 
ciation was organized to make arrangements 
for the celebration of the event during the 
week of September 12th to 19th, inclusive. 
The officers are as follows : John Gowland, 
President; P. E. Womelsdorf, First Vice 
President; Frank Weber, Second Vice Presi- 
dent; George R. Mock, Treasurer; Frank W. 
Grebe, Recording Secretary ; C. E. Hoffer, 
Corresponding Secretary ; Solomon Schmidt, 
Assistant Secretary; Claude Adams, Assistant 
Treasurer. 

Doctors Henderson and Carlin, in June, 
1905, leased from the Catherine Holt estate 
the beautiful home on Maple Hill, and con- 
verted the same into a sanitarium. 



In July, 1909, Doctor Henderson purchased 
this property, making it thereby a permanent 
institution of the town. 

On July 4th, ten thousand people joined in 
a celebration which included an industrial 
parade of more than ordinary merit, and a 
program of sports well carried out. 

On July 25th, corner stone was laid by 
congregation of the Church of Christ, for a 
large and handsome edifice. 

The completion of the installation of the 
exhaust system of Steam Heating commenced 
last year by Mr. C. H. Rowland, the owner 
of the plant, is a splendid example of indi- 
vidual .enterprise which makes much for a 
community. The employment of labor on this 
improvement during the dull days of the coal 
trade and of the general depression was of 
immense benefit to the town. 

It can be truthfully said that no town in 
the country has a better or more perfect 
plant for Steam Heating than Philipsburg. 

It must also be noted that the great drought 
which prostrated many towns and wrought 
much damage throughout the land in the sum- 
mer of 1908, did not affect Philipsburg, 
which was drinking and using without stint 
during that awful period, pure mountain water 
fresh from the never failing streams which 
supply the finely equipped Water Company of 
the town. 

The work on the three-mile extension to 
West Decatur of the State road, connecting 
with the town at Point Lookout, has begun 
and will be a much needed improvement, fur- 
nish labor and indirectly be of great benefit 
to the town. 

The Borough Council, at a meeting held 
August 19, decided to at once commence the 
construction of a large sewer for the relief 
and protection of the lower section of the 
town at an estimated cost of $6,000.00. 

This will afford another opportunity for 
labor and prove a great blessing to the town. 

The construction at Hawk Run of an im- 
mense saw mill, two miles from Philipsburg, 
for the manufacture of the 80,000,000 feet of 
timber now being taken from the Forcey lands 
and other properties adjacent, is nearly com- 
pleted, and there will be employed a large 
number of men from whom the business men 
of Philipsburg must reap much benefit. 

The evolution of Philipsburg from a lum- 
ber and mining hamlet into a prosperous town 
has been phenomenal and a review of its 
wonderful development shows its progress to 
have been on conservative lines, which have 
established a sure and safe foundation upon 
which its future can safely be built. It is 
no idle prediction that with the injection of 
new life into the Board of Trade, a revival 
of the spirit of enthusiasm and courage that 
brooks no defeat, Philipsburg will rise before 
many years to a place among the large inland 
cities of the Commonwealth. 



35 



History of Philipsburg 



RECENT COAL DEVELOPMENTS 

Ever since the discovery of coal in what is 
now called the Clearfield Bituminous Coal field, 
there has been a constant endeavor to learn 
what seams, quantity and quality of coal the 
lands in and about Philipsburg really contain. 
This search has been carried on by many wise 
prospectors and engineers, and it is a pleasure 
to note that among the latter none have been 
more indefatigable and successful in making 
the earth disclose her secrets than the able 
corps represented by P. E. Womelsdorff, Har- 
ry McD. Lorain, George H. Ayers and Charles 
P. McCausland, of this town. These men are 
in a manner the custodians of the future of 
Philipsburg in that their offices contain such 
important data and information, the slightest 
jot of which would be enough to forever put 
to silence the pessimist, who is eternally try- 
ing to make himself and others believe that 
the coal measures in our vicinity are ex- 
hausted, the mining of coal a business of the 
past, and financial doom only in store for Phil- 
ipsburg. 

Retrospection will convince the most skep- 
tical that no such deplorable condition exists 
or can arise, for year after year has some 
new development brought to light and dem- 
onstrated the well nigh inexhaustible charac- 
ter of the coal beds of this region. The 
phenomenal resuscitation of old New York 
mine abandoned years ago on One Mile Run, 
would indicate this, for an extremely rigid 
and thorough test in 1903 revealed the true 
value of this property, and induced five firms 
to secure leases at once on the large territory 
again available and showing absolutely eight 
hundred acres of "A" coal of a thickness of 
four feet clean coal and two hundred acres of 
_"B" coal of a thickness of two feet ten 
inches to four feet and which areas represent 
four or five millions of tons to be taken out. 

The original lessee in this field was James 
F. Stott, who opened up the A and B seams 
of coal here under a lease, and it may be 
truthfully said that to his energy and per- 
sistence in the face of many discouragements 
is due the opening and development of this 
territory. Afterwards the lessees, David 
Atherton and Joseph Barnes, under the firm 
name of Atherton & Barnes, commenced to 
operate the "A" seam in 1904. Thomas J. 
Lee and Richard Lobb, under the firm name 
of T. J. Lee & Co., the "B" seam; Stratton 
Brothers, the "A" seam; J. E. Horn and 
Rembrandt Peale, under the firm name of J. 
E. Horn & Co., succeeding James F. Stott, 
the "A" and "B" seams about the same time, 
and George Stott and William Rapsey the 
"B" seam somewhat later. 

We find also that J. E. Horn & Co. pur- 
chased on Sept. 29th, 1904, the holdings of 
James F. Stott near Loch Lomond, comprising 
seven hundred and sixty-six acres. Part of 
this purchase was Ophir property and had 
five mines which have been opened and the 
output of which is shipped over the New 
York Central & Hudson River Railroad. 

On June 19th, 1907, the Jason Coal Com- 
pany was granted a charter at Harrisburg 



with an authorized capital of $50,000 with 
John G. Piatt, President, and N. Jason, of 
Atlantic City, N. J., Secretary and Treasurer, 
and began the installation of an up to date 
plant at great expense. 

On November 23rd, 1907, operations were 
commenced on the lease secured from the 
Jacob Steiner heirs, which is now in posses- 
sion of the Hillside Coal Company and worked 
by them at the present time. It is good steam 
coal, and many acres no doubt of the thou- 
sand or more under which the seams of this 
excellent coal extend, will become available 
and bring to Philipsburg much prosperity. 

J. Swires opened a few years ago, a mine 
opposite Morrisdale Shaft No. 3, with the "E" 
seam which he has operated successfully. 
This seam is more or less limited in extent 
and runs from two to four feet in thickness. 

John Hooton has also leased from the Irish 
Bros, and Casanova heirs, the Jacob Resh 
tract, and begun the development of the prop- 
erty. A two and a half mile branch has been 
built by the New York Central and Hudson 
River Railroad Company to it from a point 
near Ophir Mine down the Centre County side 
of the Moshannon creek, and recently he has 
also added to his Coaldale No. 12 mine, 
opened on the above lease of 433 acres from 
the Lloyd estate, the Furst estate, Beaver 
and Reynolds. This mine is on the "A" seam 
and this section is receiving the attention of 
prospectors and many developments will doubt- 
less result which must make this very im- 
portant territory in the near future. 

The Monarch Coal Company's enterprise 
at Drane is perhaps the most important move- 
ment in coal matters in this region for years 
for the reason that it has disclosed the pos- 
sibilities of the "B" seam under water level 
and opened the way to thousands of acres 
yet untouched and underlying the unworked 
sections of immense territory in our vicinity. 

This Company is a chartered organization 
and has under lease eight hundred acres of 
"B" coal and controls over two thousand 
acres, all of which will come out through 
a shaft put down at a depth of 130 feet. 

The officers of the Company are Charles 
Wesley, of Philadelphia, President; Charles 
Soby, of Philadelphia, Vice President, and 
Harry M. Hughes, Treasurer and General 
Manager. The equipment of this mine is a 
splendid one and enables it to put out 1,500 
tons per day when working full time. 

In the light of the above facts, it is not 
hard to predict what effect they will have 
eventually upon the future of Philipsburg, 
for as surely as a revival of business is com- 
ing, so surely a boom the like of which was 
never known to the town will follow. 

Thousands of acres of coal are only await- 
ing the magic word of the capitalist to bring 
them into active and large producers. 

PHILIPSBURG'S SCHOOLS 

The culture and refinement which distin- 
guish Philipsburg above other towns in like 
manner dependent upon the mining industry 



36 



History of Philipsburg 



for_ support, are the outgrowth of the school, 
which for years, has wrought in the life of 
this beautiful town, and so wisely guided and 
directed its material prosperity as to have 
brought forth a type of citizenship peculiarly 
liberal, intelligent and patriotic. 

The completion of the splendid school 
building in 1887, at a cost of $29,000.00, cer- 
tainly marked an epoch in the history of 
Philipsburg, and subsequent events show, vras 
by far the best investment the town ever 
made. A recent estimate of the property puts 
the value of the total equipment as below : 

Building .$42,500.00 

Grounds 18,000.00 

Furniture and Fixtures 3,500 00 

Text Books 5,000.00 

Apparatus 1,000.00 

Total $70,000.00 

So admirably is the building planned that 
it yields to any and all changes which mod- 
ern ideas may dictate as to health, safetj-, 
and adaptation for study and physical exercise. 

The Board of Education has prescribed a 
course of study from the primary school to 
the High school, extending through 12 years, 
upon the completion of which, pupils are ad- 
mitted without examination, to the best col- 
leges of the State. Four years are required 
to complete the High School course. 

The library contains 2,300 volumes, mod- 
ern inaps, and reference books. A museum 
containing over a thousand specimens, a well 
equipped chemical laboratory, and a most com- 
plete and modern cabinet containing apparatus 
used in the study of physics, constitutes the 
outfit of the scientific department. The aim has 
been to make the work practical. Pupils are 
taught to do by doing. A knowledge of chem- 
ical action and wireless telegraphy is no longer 
out of reach of the High school girl and boy. 

The apparatus has been provided, skilled 
teachers are employed, and the recognition 
of the leading colleges attests to the high 
standard of results accomplished. The edu- 
cational interests of Philipsburg have been 
safeguarded by her leading business and pro- 
fessional_ men. The Board of Directors have, 
at all times, been actuated by a desire to 
do their full duty toward the youth of the 
entire community. Unanimity of purpose, a 
devotion to an ideal have been made the key- 
note which proclaims that the best is none 
too good for Philipsburg. 

The results accomplished by these schools 
during the last twenty years have been wide- 
reaching and fraught with much good, and 
are a record of achievement of which the 
people of Philipsburg are justly proud. 

On December 12, 1907, Prof. C. D. Koch 
resigned the superintendency to accept the 
appointment of State Inspector of High 
Schools. On January 6, 1908, the vacancy 
was filled by the election of Prof. B. I. Mey- 
ers, of Patton, and another name was added 
to a splendid line of principals and superin- 
tendents. 



Mr. Meyers is a young man with powers 
of mind and body in full vigor, and is thor- 
oughly imbued with a love for his calling, 
which indulges only the highest ideals. The 
present Board of Education is as below set 
forth : 

President, W. W. Andrews ; Secretary, C. 
T. Fryberger; Treasurer, Frank Weber; John 
Gowland, J. E. Hawkins, and Geo. Troutman. 
In years of service. Captain C. T. Fry- 
berger stands first, and as a faithful servant 
of the people he has looked after the interests 
of the district as conscientiously as his own. 
When, by reason of the death of the late Wm. 
E. Irwin, of revered memory, the Board was 
robbed of one whose services had been so 
signally useful in the work of the schools, it 
was no mere chance that his mantle fell upon 
the shoulders of his friend and is worn grace- 
fully and honorably still by the present Sec- 
retary of the Board of Education. The re- 
port of attendance during the term is as fol- 
lows: 

Number enrolled, boys, 410; girls, 446; 
total, 856. Average attendance, boys, 333; 
girls, 352; total, 685. Percentage of attend- 
ance, boys, 95; girls, 94; total, 95. 

From 1904 to the present year the make-up 
of the Boards has been as follows : 

W. W. Andrews, President; C. T. Fry- 
berger, Secretary; Frank Weber, Treasurer; 
John Gowland; Ely J. Townsend, (died March 
9, 1905, and was succeeded by R. H. Moore, 
March 22, 1905), Chas. E. Murray. 

For the year 1904: W. W. Andrews, 
President; C. T. Fryberger, Secretary; Frank 
Weber, Treasurer; John Gowland; Chas. 
Waring resigned before being sworn in. G. 
C. Irish was elected by the Board July 24, 
1905, to fill his place. 

For the year 1905 : W. W. Andrews, Presi- 
dent; C. T. Fryberger, Secretary; Frank 
Weber, Treasurer; John Gowland, Robt. 
Moore, J. E. Hawkins. 

For the year 1906 : W. W. Andrews, Presi- 
dent; C. T. Fryberger, Secretary; Frank 
Weber, Treasurer; John Gowland, Robt. 
Moore, (died July 26, 1907). G. C. Irish 
elected by the Board August 27, 1907; J. E. 
Hawkins. 

For the year 1907 : W. W. Andrews, Presi- 
dent; C. T. Fryberger, Secretary; Frank 
Weber, Treasurer; John Gowland, J. E. 
Hawkins, Geo. Troutman. 

A retrospect of the last five years shows 
that outside of the routine work of the schools, 
many lecturers of prominence were secured 
and high-toned entertainments given, prin- 
cipal among which were Senator Dollivar, 
of Iowa, in 1904, and University Extension 
Lectures, which were begun in the winter of 
1904-1905, and gave splendid support to the 
educational work, and from the church also 
came magnificent assistance through the lec- 
tures of Madam Barakhat in February, 1907, 
and a lecture on "Hamlet" by Dr. Quayle, of 
Chicago, on March 24, 1908, and others, and 
finally it should be a source of great satisfac- 
tion to the people of Philipsburg to realize 



37 



History of Philipsburg 



that the confidence they have placed in the 
wisdom of former Boards of Education has 
never been misplaced, and that the self-sacri- 
fice the present organization is making, is 
the sure guarantee that the interests of the 
schools will be properly defended. 

PHILIPSBURG'S FIRE COMPANIES 

The Fire Companies are special objects of 
pride and admiration on the part of the people 
of Philipsburg. Since their establishment an 
almost unbroken record of success and achieve- 
ment has followed them. Their rosters have 
always contained the best men of the town, 
and the zeal and fervor which have always 
characterized their work are the outgrowth of 
an unselfish desire to do the right thing in 
the right way for the protection of the town. 

In a record of 25 years the fires with few 
exceptions, upon which they played, never 
broke through the walls, nor have the build- 
ings upon which they worked, with but two 
exceptions, ever been total losses. But one 
inference follows this, and that is that the 
Fire Companies of our town are among its 
best institutions. 

These Companies are following out the 
modern idea prevalent among Fire Companies 
that only a well equipped and managed organi- 
zation will minimize the loss when fires occur. 

Below is a list of the officers of the Re- 
liance Fire Company and Hope Steam Fire 
Company and their equipments : 

Officers of Hope Steam Fire Company : 
President, Edward P. Matley ; Vice President, 
Thos. Home ; Treasurer, John C. Hamler ; 
Recording Secretary, Frank W. Grebe ; Finan- 
cial Secretary, Mathew Home; Chief, Frank 
W. Grebe ; Foreman, Wm. D. Grebe ; First 
Assistant Foreman, H. Elmer Johnson ; Sec- 
ond Assistant Foreman, Isaac Home. Trus- 
tees, Gray Nolan, Phil Dawson, Wm. Dennie, 
Jr. Engineers, James McCabe, W. Heber 
Wolf, Thos. Home, Fred Klett. Firemen, 
Wm. McFarlin, Chas. Dukerman, Orin S. 
Rothrock, Mathew Home, Gray Nolan. Ap- 
paratus, 1 Silsby Steamer; 1 Hook and Lad- 
der Truck; 3 Hose Carts; 1,800 Feet Para- 
gon Hose. 

Apparatus of Hope Fire Company: 1 La 
France Double Piston Fire Engine; 1 La 
France Rotary Fire Engine ; 3 Two-Wheel 
Hose Carts ; 1,600 Feet of Paragon Fire Hose ; 
1 Patent Eastman Fire Nozzle ; 1 Flexible 
Play Pine; 5 Nickel Play Pipes, 1 Simee Hose 
Coupling. 

The Reliance Fire Company held its an- 
nual election of officers last evening with the 
following result : 

Officers of Reliance Fire Company: Presi- 
dent, Wm. Southard ; Vice President, Irvin 
Faulkner ; Recording Secretary, Roy Flegal ; 
Financial Secretary, H. P. Miller ; Treasurer, 
J. F. Kephart ; Chief, H. H. Weber ; Foreman, 
Geo. Hurley ; Assistant Foreman, C. Peightol ; 
H. & L. Foreman, P. Ferguson ; Assistant 
Chief of Fire Department, Frank Haines ; 
Chief Engineer, Wm. Southard ; Trustees, Roy 
Flegal, 1 year ; E. Faulkner, 2 years ; Chas. 
Waple, 3 years. Janitor, H. Munson. Law- 



rence L. Morgan and Frank Haines, Assist- 
ants to Department Chief. 

For 28 years Frank Weber, the present Chief, 
has been identified with the Fire Department of 
Philipsburg, and served 27 and one half years 
as Chief and Assistant Chief. It would not 
be fair, perhaps, to say that to him alone be- 
longs the credit for the splendid condition of 
the Fire Department, but it must be alleged 
that his judgment in the conduct of the work 
belonging to the department, has never been 
excelled. 

BURGESSES AND COUNCELMEN 

1905. — Burgess, Jacob Swires ; Council, 
George H. Richards, President; C. E. Coun- 
sel, W. B. Brown, J. O. Reed, J. A. Walton, 
E. E. Hagerty, George Stott, H. D. Rumber- 
ger, A. B. Herd. 

1906. — Burgess, Jacob Swires ; Council, J- 
O. Reed, President; W. B. Wigton, Calvin 
Jones, E. E. Hagerty, S. B. Parker, George 
Stott, A. B. Herd, H. D. Rumberger; C. W. 
Atherton. 

1907.— Burgess, J. W. Stein; Council, H. 
D. Rumberger, President; W. B. Wigton, J. 
O. Reed, Calvin Jones, George Stott, S. B. 
Parker, E. S. Faulkner, C. W. Atherton, H. 
B. Scott. 

1908.— J. W. Stein, Burgess; Council, H. 

B. Scott, President; W. B. Wigton (resigned), 
Calvin Jones (elected to fill vacancy), J. O. 
Reed, L. G. Runk, S. B. Parker, E. S. Faulk- 
ner, C. A. Gette, C. W. Atherton, David Ather- 
ton. 

The Borough Officials at present in service 
are as follows : 

Burgess, Josiah Pritchard ; President of 
Council, Calvin Jones ; Members of Council, 

C. M. Waple, First ward; 3 years; J. O. 
Reed, First ward, 2 years ; Calvin Jones: 
First ward, 1 year; Roy R. Rowles, Second 
ward, 3 years ; Claude Gette, Second ward, 2 
years ; E. S. Faulkner, Second ward, 1 year : 
Geo. Richards, Third ward, 3 years ; David 
Atherton, Third ward, 2 years ; H. B. Scott, 
Third ward, 1 year; Borough Solicitor, W. 

D. Crosby ; Borough Treasurer, J. E. Fry- 
berger ; Borough Engineer, Geo. H. Ayers ; 
Street Commissioner, Geo. W. Lucas ; Chief 
of Police, S. M. Sankey; Assistant Police, 
Orin Moore. 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE 

John Loraine, first Justice, 1818 ; James 
Kunnear, Samuel Way, John Matley. Henrv 
Shultz, Thomas Hancock, James McClelland, 
Chester Munson, David Johnson, Anderson 
Bradin, Jesse L. Test, William McCutcheon, 
John R. Herd, William Riddles, James F. 
Shoop, Thomas M. Crissman, Lewis Hess, D. 
H. Parker, B. J. La Porte, C. B. Sandford. 
H. H. Hewitt, H. Gunther, H. C. Warfel, J. 

E. Hawkins. 

CEMETERIES 

The new enclosure about the Old Union 
cemetery is a splendid work of solid masonry 
and reflects great credit upon the Council for 
the protection and beauty the cherished land- 
mark has gained through its action. 



38 



History of Philipsburg 



Veneration for the dead is the hig-hest in- 
stinct of the human soul. This gone, man 
sinks to the level of the brute. 

The new cemetery, or the Philipsburg 
cemetery, has received much attention within 
the last few years, and has become a place of 
exceedingly great beauty. 

A partial list of the dead who lie in these 
beautiful places will be found in foregoing 
pages of the History proper of this volume, 
but it will not be inappropriate to append a 
list of the soldier dead who are interred in 
these resting places, made by A. H. Waring, 
a veteran of the Civil war : 

John Adams, Andrew Ammerman. W. T. 
Askey, Jacob Beamer, Wm. Boyd Beamer, 
Wm. E. Beals, Reuben Bixler, John Boot, 
George Brown, Philip Bradley, P. Hezekiah 
Blair, Jacob Bruce, Thomas Cartwright, Wm. 
Carson, David Carley, Cambridge Colburn, 
David F. Copelin, Benjamin S. Grain, Francis 
Crowell, Henry Gushard, J. C. GuUen, Robert 
Calhoun, W. G. Davis, David Davis, Jos. 
Dixon, Aaron DeVinney, Wm. H. Fisher, G. 
R. Foster, Summerfield Flegal, A. H. Funk, 
Simon Flaetz, Matthew Gowland, Wm. Y. 
Gray, A. J. Graham, H. H. Gunther, G. F. 
Hoop, Elias W. Hale, Thomas Handlon, H. 
O. Hoffer, John A. Hatch, Christ G. Hirl- 
inger, Daniel W. Hunter, J. C. Hess, John 
Hicklen, G. W. Hamer, Amos A. Haroer, M. 
Hardenberg, Isaac Hopkins, Thos. G. Hutch- 
ison, Wm. E. Irvin, Andrew J. Jackson, James 
F. Katen, David A. Kennedy, Wm. H. Kin- 
kead, John A. Lehr, W. G. Lewis, Robert 
Matley, John P. Matley, Jos. Meredith, A. J. 
McCleland, J. C. McCartney, Jacob Miller, 
R. D. McKinley, J. H. McCartney, Geo. North- 
amer, D. C. Nelson, W. D. A. Naugle, Thos. 
B. Potter, S. W. Paul, John Priest, Levi Rey- 
nolds, David Rodgers, Theodore Richards, 
Chas. Reeder, H. H. Ross, J. G. Robison, 
Henry Rickart, Elijah Reece. Oscar Runk, 
Francis Reed, J. C. Richards, Chas. W. Reeder, 
W. A. Rainey, James Salsburg, Henry Stinecker, 
Jeremiah Sankey, Lemuel Shaw, David Shontz, 
Daniel Swab, George Simonds, F. B. Smith, 



Wm. Simler, Aaron H. Smith, W. S. Starrett, 
Sandford Tippery, John M. Test, Charles Tay- 
'lor, Henry Vaughn, Sarnuel Wells, Henry B. 
Wilcox, Geo. W. Wythe, Wm. Wagoner, James 
G. Wighaman, Daniel Wilhelm, John A. Wolf, 
Peter Weber, Fred Yocum, Geo. H. Zeigler, 
John Newman, G. G. Pottsgrove, Wm. H. 
McCausland, Wm. Dixon, Michael Stover. 

Old cemetery, Isaac Dolph, Wm. Dolph, 
John Howe. Isaac Harper, M. H. Jolly, John 
Hudson, John Shimel. John J. Smith, Peter 
Snyder, Martin Ditts, E. L. Reed. 

PRESIDENT HARRISON'S VISIT 

September 20th, 1890, was one of the 
greatest days in the history of Philipsburg, for 
it brought the opportunity of entertaining a 
President of the United States in the person 
of Benj. Harrison, the incumbent of that high 
office at that time. Many men of prominence 
had been visitors to and travelers through the 
little mountain town, but never had a real, live 
President been within its bounds. 

At the solicitation of powerful friends, Mr. 
Harrison, who was resting at Cresson. was 
induced to visit this region, and at half-past 
two o'clock the Presidential train steamed into 
the town amid huzzas from the throats of fully 
six thousand people. 

The President's party rode in the private 
car of Mr. Geo. B. Roberts, President of the 
P. R. R. Stepping out to the platform on the 
rear end of the car. Mayor Warfel addressed 
the audience and introduced the President, 
who made a very delightful address, and the 
party then, in carriages provided for the pur- 
pose, made a tour of the town. 

Among the incidents upon the route were 
when the school children at the public schools 
refused to keep in line as ordered, in their 
wild desire broke away and surrounded the 
carriage of the President and the Mayor, and 
when Mrs. Geo. B. Simler presented to the 
distinguished guest a bouquet of beautiful 
flowers and received his heartiest thanks. 



The Old Church 



By Henrietta Foster. 



We say the "Old Church," yet compara- 
tively speaking, it is not old, but is with one 
exception the last link uniting us with the 
early days of our town. What a host of wor- 
shippers it would call up that now make a 
part of the dust of the neglected graveyard. 

"Each in his narrow cell forever laid. 
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep." 

Nature has dealt rather kindly with the old 
building. "Tis true, the sharp tooth of time 
has nibbled its corners, and its general appear- 



ance plainly shows that the great destroyer is 
slowly but surely completing its ruin, yet its 
broken halls and darkened turret appeal to us 
as worthy veneration. It is like a friend who 
has walked with us through childhood's days 
down to old age, losing symmetry and beauty 
as the years relentlessly demanded this tribute. 
The battle of Waterloo was still fresh in 
the minds of our people, and Napoleon had 
been a prisoner on St. Helena a little less 
than five years when the logs were hewn for 



History of Philipsburg 



the central or main part of the church. A few 
years before, Mr. Hardman Philips had pre- 
sented the town with a plot of ground for a 
graveyard, and upon this same ground the 
citizens decided to build. I have an old paper 
before me upon the back of which is written : 
"Subscriptions to Meeting House." As it may 
be of interest to some of my readers I will 
give the heading of this paper verbatim : 

"We, the subscribers, wishing to have a 
house built which will answer the double pur- 
pose of a school, and place of worship to be 
free for religious preachers of the Gospel 
of all denominations do promise to pay to 
William Kinnear, and Samuel Turner, the re- 
spective sums hereunto subscribed by us to be 
applied by them to this purpose." 

The first name on the list that follows is 
John Lorain — $10.00. He was the great grand- 
father of our present townsman, Charles 
Lorain, and it is doubtful if the aforesaid citi- 
zen can produce a finer signature. Then comes 
the names of Dewees, Test, Philips, Flegal, 
Hancock, Simler, Ayres, McGirk, and hosts of 
other familiar names, many of whose descend- 
ants are still with us ; then down the list we 
find John Lorain a second time, with addi- 
tional subscription, Mr. Hardman Philips giv- 
ing $25.00. This being the largest amount by 
any one person on the paper, the smallest sum 
$1.00. Some that could not give money gave 
so many days' work. So the plain log house 
was built, and was called the Union Church. 

From what has been handed down orally 
and from what I have gathered from the frag- 
ments of old papers it was deemed necessary 
in 1841 to repair the building. An old paper 
relating to the work reads as follows : "The 
roof is to be new shingled, tin spouts added, 
inside lathed and plastered, outside to be 
roughcast, on the west end an addition to be 
made to contain the pulpit, communion table 
and a vestry, the body of the church to be 
pewed, belfry and bell to be added." For this 
purpose a second subscription was taken of 
$300.00. 

Of course, the amount subscribed was in- 
sufficient and Mr. Hardman Philips furnished 
the needed money, directing the work and com- 
pleting the building, and "Thereby hangs a 
tale." 

As the church was remodeled and planned 
to suit the peculiar wants and conveniences 
of a Protestant Episcopal congregation, Mr. 
Philips wanted to claim it as the Trinity P. 
E. Church of Philipsburg. To this the citi- 
zens objected, claiming that Mr. Philips had 
added extravagances utterly unnecessary for 
a Union Church, and they refused to relinquish 
their claim, which they considered paramount. 
So a fight began ending in a law suit. 



I will give the heading of a third subscrip- 
tion which will better explain the situation : 
"The Subscribers hereby agree to pay the 
sum set opposite their names, respectively, for 
the purpose of defraying the expense ensuing 
in the defense of the Union Church in a suit 
instituted by Hardman Philips to recover an 
alleged debt against said church." In this con- 
test James McGirk led the citizens, so it might 
be said it was Hardman Philips vs. James Mc- 
Girk. After rather a tedious lawsuit the citi- 
zens were victorious and from that time it 
remained a Union Church. The Episcopalians, 
however, continued to worship in the church, 
and when a clergyman was not available, Mr. 
Philips read the service. 

Hardman Philips spent a fortune here, 
among the industries he built a screw mill, 
which is said to have been the first in the 
United States. It was built at Point Lookout, 
and after operating a few years was closed, 
because of the expense attending the hauling 
of the iron in wagons from over the moun- 
tains. Every vestige of the screw mill has dis- 
appeared long years ago, but the old church 
still stands, as I have already said, almost the 
last of the old landmarks. The building has 
not been without a friend in the Village Im- 
provement Society which has spent some money 
on it in repairs, but the task of repairing it 
seems hopeless, as the entire structure is so 
far decayed that repairing would literally mean 
building a new church. Still let us do what 
we can to preserve it as long as possible for 
the "Days lang syne." 

And now, if I may be allowed to digress, 
I would like to pay a tribute to Mrs. Hard- 
man Philips, for if the Protestant Episcopal 
Church favored canonization she would have 
been placed in the Calendar of Saints. Like 
the Master she served, she went about doing 
good. There were no poor that did not know 
the sound of her coming feet, and none sick 
that did not feel the touch of her tender 
hands. She was greatly attached to her Amer- 
ican home, and its surroundings, the "Philips 
Mansion," as it was called, and how gratify- 
ing that by its present owners it is so beauti- 
fully kept, and all that is associated with Mrs. 
Philips is so sacredly guarded. The woods she 
so dearly loved, the trees grouped as pleased her 
fancy, her children's garden, the part of the 
grounds appropriated to her pansies, where 
she found the quaint faces in each variety, are 
all associated with the writer's childhood. But 
the loveliest picture in memory's wall is her 
face, which, though falling short of beauty's 
standard, was illumined by the noble charac- 
ters it revealed: 

"None knew her but to love her, 
None named her but to praise." 



40 





MR. AND MRS. HARDMAN PHILIPS 




OLD UNION CHURCH 



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CAPITAL $100,000,000 SURPLUS $120,000.00 

UNDIVIDED PROFITS $25,000.00 



OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 

GEO. W. McGAFFEY, President 
L. W. NUTTALL, Vice Pres. J. E. FRYBERGER, Cashier 

THOMAS J. LEE L. C. HARMAN 

JAMES H. FRANCE CHARLES R. HOUTZ 





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